Arsenal remain interested in Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior, but the Brazil international’s future is still expected to lie at the Santiago Bernabéu despite continued speculation surrounding his contract situation.
Vinicius reported back for pre-season training with Real Madrid on Monday following an extended break after the FIFA World Cup, with negotiations over a new long-term deal continuing in the background.
The 26-year-old has entered the final year of his current contract, prompting Arsenal to closely monitor developments as they continue exploring ways to strengthen Mikel Arteta’s attacking options before the transfer window closes.
Not for sale
However, Real Madrid have no intention of selling one of their biggest stars and remain confident an agreement over a contract extension will eventually be reached.
New head coach Jose Mourinho is understood to regard Vinicius as a central figure in his plans and wants the Brazilian to remain one of the club’s marquee Galacticos for years to come.
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Constantly trying to evolve
Speaking after Arsenal’s 4-1 pre-season victory over Girona, Arteta refused to discuss individual targets but reiterated the club’s ambition to strengthen before the new campaign.
“Well, we are really active, trying to improve and evolve the team. That’s clear,” Arteta told Sky Sports.
“We expect to have movements in the next few weeks, obviously, because we want to get better like anybody else. And you can just see the transfer market and our opponents.
“What we are doing, we won’t sit still, and we are very ambitious in what we want to do.”
Intrigue over a certainty
While Arsenal’s interest in Vinicius has generated excitement among supporters, the transfer remains highly dependent on the outcome of the player’s contract negotiations in Spain.
At present, there is no indication that Vinicius is actively seeking a move away from Real Madrid, with the Spanish club continuing to work towards securing his long-term future.
Should talks between Vinicius and Real Madrid fail to produce an agreement, the Premier League champions could be well placed to test Madrid’s resolve.
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