Vinicius Junior would be forced to change his shirt number if he joins Arsenal from Real Madrid this summer, as Bukayo Saka currently wears the No. 7 the Brazilian has worn for the last three seasons in Spain. The 26-year-old emerged as a target for the Premier League side this past weekend, with just 12 months left on his contract.
Shirt Number Conundrum
According to Diario AS, Vinicius hopes to continue at Madrid and optimism remains that a contract extension can be reached. However, if the winger does make the move to north London, he'll have to do without his favoured No. 7, currently occupied by Bukayo Saka. Prior to receiving the storied jersey in 2023 upon Eden Hazard's departure, Vinicius wore No. 20 for three years, which is also unavailable at the Emirates Stadium as Noni Madueke sports that number.
Available Numbers
Vinicius could revert back to the first two numbers he wore at Madrid — No. 28 and No. 25. Both jerseys are available in Mikel Arteta's squad, as well as No. 15 and No. 19 — the latter being vacated by Leandro Trossard's move to Besiktas.
Record-Breaking Wages
While Vinicius won't be able to continue sporting No. 7 on the club stage if a move to Arsenal materialises, he will be able to call himself the most paid player in the club's history, according to reports. The Telegraph states that his staggering salary of £400,000 per week wouldn't stop the deal from happening. It further claims that club executives would aim to improve his wages to further convince the Brazilian to sign.
Vinicius' potential wages would easily usurp those of Arsenal's current highest-paid player, Saka, who inked a £365,000-a-week contract in February, set to rise each season. The Brazil international is coming off his second-best goalscoring season in La Liga, with 16 goals scored, but he failed to win a major honour for a second season in a row at Madrid.
