Arsenal are reportedly preparing another major transfer move if they fail to sign Vinicius Junior this summer.
After several weeks of talks, Arsenal have finally reached an agreement to sign their main midfield target, Bruno Guimaraes. The club have agreed to pay £75 million for the Newcastle United captain.
The Brazilian midfielder is expected to complete his medical later this week before signing a contract that could keep him at the Emirates until 2031.
Once Guimaraes’ transfer is completed, Arsenal are expected to focus on his Brazil teammate, Vinicius Junior. The Real Madrid winger has been strongly linked with a move away from the Spanish club during this transfer window.
Vinicius has not yet signed a new contract with Real Madrid, even though his current deal expires next summer. Reports say that contract talks have slowed down because of several important demands from the Brazilian star.
With only a few weeks remaining before the transfer window closes on September 1, the coming days could be very important for the 26-year-old’s future. If no agreement is reached soon, Real Madrid may consider selling him.
If Vinicius leaves the Bernabeu this summer, Arsenal are still seen as one of the strongest candidates to sign him. However, Real Madrid are now making a serious effort to convince him to stay.
According to David Ornstein, Real Madrid have improved their contract offer after Vinicius’ representatives met with general director Jose Angel Sanchez and chief scout Juni Calafat on Wednesday.
Before the meeting, reports suggested that Real Madrid were not ready to meet Vinicius’ salary demands. However, the club have now increased their offer to better match his importance to the team and their long-term plans.
Arsenal Could Challenge Liverpool for Bradley Barcola
It is still unclear whether Real Madrid’s new offer will be enough to keep Vinicius Junior at the Bernabeu or if he will continue to consider leaving the club.
If the Brazilian decides not to join Arsenal, the Gunners are reportedly ready to switch their attention to Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, who is also a top target for Liverpool.
According to talkSPORT, Arsenal have become interested after the France international rejected several contract offers from PSG in recent months.
Even so, Liverpool are still believed to be leading the race if Barcola leaves Paris this summer. Talks between Liverpool and PSG are already underway.
If Arsenal try to beat Liverpool to Barcola’s signature, they would likely need to match PSG’s asking price of around £140 million to complete the transfer.
