Arsenal receive major Vinicius Junior update as Real Madrid issue ultimatum

Updated: 31 Jul 2026 19:02 BST | 4 min read

Matthew Judge | Editor

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Real Madrid have told Vinicius Junior they will look to sell him to Arsenal if he turns down their latest contract offer, according to reports in Spain.

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The Athletic reported last Saturday that Arsenal are exploring an ambitious move to sign Vinicius, who has just one year left on his Real contract.

Various sources claim talks over a contract extension were at an impasse before Real and Vinicius decided to pause negotiations for the World Cup.

STATS

Vinícius Júnior

F (CL), M (L)

Real Madrid

Vinícius Júnior

F (CL), M (L)

Real Madrid

53

Games
22

Goals
10

Assists

But now Spanish publication Marca understands La Liga giants Real have issued Vinicius an ultimatum in light of Arsenal’s interest.

The same outlet claims Real have made the 26-year-old aware they will look to offload him if he rejects their new - and final - contract proposal.

Marca have not published any details of the contract offer, however, with the proposed length and salary unknown.

Vinicius wants his salary to match that of current top earner Kylian Mbappe - a demand Real have rejected, according to Marca.

Arsenal keen to sign left-sided attacker ahead of new season

BBC Sport first reported in June that Arsenal were looking to sign a new left-sided attacker ahead of the 2026-27 Premier League season.

The same publication understands the Gunners are confident Vinicius would join them, should he opt against signing fresh terms with Real.

BBC Sport claims the Premier League champions also hold an interest in Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola, but face competition from Liverpool.

Arsenal have signed Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier ahead of the new season, while Piero Hincapie has also turned his loan move into a permanent transfer.

Vinicius is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world

After emerging through Flamengo’s youth system in 2017, Vinicius scored 14 goals in 69 games for the Brazilian giants.

He then agreed to join Spanish heavyweights Real in May 2017, with the move becoming effective after he turned 18 in July 2018.

And Vinicius has gone on to become one of the finest players of his generation in Spain, scoring 128 goals in 376 appearances at the Bernabeu.

He has won 14 honours with Real including two Champions League titles in 2022 and 2024, scoring in both finals against Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund respectively.

Vinicius has also scored 13 goals in 54 appearances for Brazil, with four of them coming at this summer’s World Cup in North America.