Arsenal are understood to be watching very closely as Real Madrid and Vinicius Jr remain unable to agree terms on a new contract.
Vinicius Jr has one year left on his Real Madrid deal, so a decision on his future will be made one way or another in the current summer transfer window.
Real Madrid reportedly have no intention of making the Brazil winger their highest-paid player and the 26-year-old is demanding a package that reflects his importance to the team and what his representatives believe to be his commercial value beyond football.
As negotiations falter, Real Madrid have agreed personal terms with Ivorian star Yan Diomande, who is set move to the Bernabeu from RB Leipzig in a transfer worth more than £100million.
While Vinicius Jr is back after leading the way for Brazil at the World Cup, it is claimed that he is not attending for pre-season training while the club and his agents discuss his destiny.
‘The player is staying away while his representatives try to revive talks over an extension to his contract that runs out at the end of this coming season,’ reports the Daily Mail.
‘Madrid’s position is that the player’s future is in his own hands. If he lowers demands to be joint top earner with Kylian Mbappe he will stay.
‘But if he does not the 15-times European Cup winners have no plans to make an improved offer and the way will be left clear for Arsenal.”
The Premier League champions would be required to fulfil at least most of Vini Jr’s contract demands and any move this summer would command a very hefty transfer fee should Real Madrid prefer to take the opportunity to cash in.
Real Madrid could also leave an offer on the table for the season if they’re willing to risk losing the Brazilian for free next summer. Given his apparent wage expectations, a free transfer might even be the player’s most lucrative option.
But sheer weight of wages is just one part of the picture. Vini Jr pulls in a vast amount of sponsorship and image rights revenue.
The arrangement between Vini Jr, his club and his representatives concerning this portion of his income is another area where there could be increased room for manoeuvre for Real Madrid, not least in terms of how an overall deal would be benchmarked against Mbappe’s, or indeed Arsenal in the event of a move.
‘The player’s current contract means he gives around 50 per cent of publicity-deal revenue to them, during the World Cup he had lucrative deals with 15 multinational sponsors – a number topped only by his international team-mate Neymar,’ reports the Daily Mail.
Vinicius Jr has become a powerful figure at the Bernabeu since he joined the Spanish capital giants from Flamengo in 2018.
In his eight years at the club, the Brazil star has racked up three La Liga titles and two wins apiece in the Champions League and Club World Cup.
He has played for Real Madrid 376 times in all competitions but it remains unclear whether there will be another.
