Real Madrid are expecting an imminent response from Vinicius Junior to their contract offer, with Arsenal ready to accelerate their interest upon his rejection.
Contract talks intensify
Upon returning to pre-season training on Monday, the situation regarding the Brazilian's future has taken centre stage. Vinicius Junior's deal with the Spanish giants expires next summer, and talks over an extension had stalled for almost a year as the forward holds out for a salary worth around €30 million a year.
Following a meeting between the 26-year-old's representatives and Real Madrid on Wednesday, the Athletic reported that Los Blancos have raised their contract offer to Vinicius Jr. Crucially, the proposal is said to reflect the Brazilian's importance to the club and their ongoing sporting project. This is extremely significant as previous reports claimed the club had no plans to perform a U-turn, standing firm on their latest offer of €22 million annually.
Response expected within hours
Now, according to the BBC, Vinicius Jr is understood to be appreciative of the fresh terms offered by Real Madrid, who now await the forward's final decision with senior managers - including Jose Mourinho - hopeful he will renew. Furthermore, the report states that Real Madrid are expecting a response within hours rather than days.
If Vinicius Jr rejects the contract, Arsenal are willing to accelerate their interest in the Brazil international. It has been widely reported that they are ready to make an offer worth €120 million (£102.2 million) in total, with €100 million (£85.7 million) fixed and a further €20 million (£17.1 million) in add-ons.
Potential record transfer
However, ESPN Brazil have claimed that Madrid would demand a transfer fee of around €150 million (£128 million) to sell Vinicius this summer, which would see the player comfortably become Arsenal's club record signing, eclipsing the £105 million paid to West Ham for Declan Rice in the summer of 2023.
A crucial few hours are ahead in this transfer saga as clarity is expected to be provided at some point on Thursday.
