As talks about Vinicius Jr potentially moving to Arsenal this summer were progressing, Jose Mourinho stepped in and Real Madrid ultimately altered their stance on contract negotiations.
Jose Mourinho has disclosed how he convinced Vinicius Jr to reject Arsenal and remain at Real Madrid. The Brazilian winger, aged 26, suddenly became a priority target for the north London club when his existing deal at the Santiago Bernabeu entered its final 12 months earlier this summer. However, negotiations broke down after he chose to commit his future to the Spanish giants by signing an extended agreement.
football.london reported that Arsenal had genuine interest in acquiring Vinicius Jr. Despite the South American consistently indicating his preference to prolong his spell in Madrid, Real Madrid’s initial reluctance to negotiate during renewal discussions began to change the situation.
Upon returning for pre-season preparations following an extended break after the World Cup, Vinicius Jr engaged in discussions with the new Real Madrid manager. Mourinho made clear his determination to retain the Brazilian, prompting the club’s hierarchy to reconsider and present an enhanced contract proposal.
Vinicius Jr subsequently put pen to paper on a fresh six-year deal, binding him to Los Blancos until June 2032 and eliminating any possibility of Arsenal completing a transfer. Speaking recently on the Spanish television programme El Chiringuito, the former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur manager explained precisely what he told the number seven to persuade him to remain.
Obviously, I spoke with him, but Vinícius has fallen in love with Real Madrid, Mourinho stated, as reported by Mundo Deportivo. The only thing I told him was: Vini, where do you want to go? You’ve only been in Brazil, and you only know Real Madrid. When you leave, you’ll know what Real Madrid is. Don’t leave, it’s not worth it.
I think what he’s felt, in terms of the group’s growth, the way we’ve been working and growing, has given him a very important feeling. This is another bike that’s a pleasure to watch working; we have a lot of quality.
Since failing to secure Vinicius Jr’s signature, Arsenal have been unable to bring in another forward. Andrea Berta secured Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge in a transaction valued at approximately £34m in July, yet the Gunners have yet to reinforce their attacking options further.
Speaking to journalists after a pre-season friendly loss to Borussia Dortmund earlier this month, Arteta expressed his determination to strengthen the attacking line. The Spanish coach stated: Well, that’s what we’re trying to do. It has to be the right player in the market to make us much better. We are very much looking forward to that.
Then, following the victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield at the weekend, Arteta acknowledged that his squad contains vulnerabilities. The Arsenal manager said: Well, we know that there are certain areas that, through injuries, we are weaker, and we need to strengthen. We are trying to do that, we’ve been trying to do that for weeks, so only the right opportunity and the club is able to do it. We will do it.
Although the transfer window does not close until 11pm on Tuesday, September 1, Arteta will be eager to introduce any additional new signings before the opening match of the new Premier League campaign.
On Friday evening, the Gunners will commence their defence of the English top-flight championship when they welcome Coventry City to the Emirates Stadium.