Jose Mourinho turns up the heat on Vinicius Jr after Arsenal admission

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Tom Weber | Writer

Jose Mourinho has sent a strong message to Vinicius Jr over his place at Real Madrid after admitting that he probably should have left the club for Arsenal this summer.

The Portuguese manager dropped a bombshell at the weekend when he confessed that he would have "forced" a transfer out of Real Madrid if he had been in Vinicius Jr's place this summer.

"If I were in his shoes, I probably wouldn't be here," Mourinho said. "I would have forced a move to a country where I'd be respected, but out of loyalty to Real Madrid and love for the club, he stayed."

Arsenal were trying to sign the Brazil international, but he ultimately opted to sign a new long-term contract at Real Madrid. However, his form since that big-money extension has been anything but satisfactory.

The 26-year-old has faced harsh criticism for his performances and been jeered by Real Madrid's fans. Calls for Vinicius to be dropped have grown in recent weeks, and Yan Diomande's performance in his absence at the weekend has only piled the pressure on the Brazilian.

Mourinho: There are no untouchables

With Vini serving the first match of a four-game suspension, Diomande was able to play on the left wing and produced his strongest display in a Real Madrid shirt to date. The €125 million signing notched a goal and an assist.

Despite his early struggles, the Ivorian has now contributed to five goals in 546 minutes. By contrast, Vinicius has four goal contributions in 731 minutes. It's an overly simplistic way of looking at the game, but it is indicative of Vini's decline.

In previous seasons, the 26-year-old still produced impressive numbers even when he didn't play well, but he now struggles to mask his disappointing performances with goals and assists.

In light of Diomande's outing at the weekend, there is a clamour for him to keep his place at the expense of Vini in Real Madrid's Champions League match with his former club RB Leipzig on Wednesday. However, Mourinho has already dismissed this possibility.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, the 63-year-old made it clear that the Brazilian will get the nod. "Vinicius is going to play on the left wing tomorrow. Yan doesn't know if he's going to play tomorrow or not," Mourinho said.

This makes sense from a squad management point of view, given that Vinicius is still banned in LaLiga. It does raise questions about the meritocracy at Real Madrid, though.

Since Mourinho's arrival, there has been a lot of talk about his "untouchables" - players who are guaranteed starters even if they don't perform. Vini Jr is believed to be one of them, but Mourinho insists that there is no such thing.

"The only thing untouchable is the badge," he emphasised when asked if Vinicius' starting position is in danger. "I don't like this concept of an untouchable player. What makes a player untouchable is their performance on the field."

Mourinho's comments should always be taken with a pinch of salt, but this could be interpreted as a warning to Vinicius that he needs to get his act together. The credit he has built up over the years is eroding with each passing game.

Despite his contract extension in the summer, one can't escape the feeling that Vinicius is running out of time at Real Madrid. He overstayed his welcome and is struggling to turn things around.

If Mourinho is a man of his word and does end up dropping him if his uninspiring form persists, talk of a possible move to Arsenal will resurface. After all, the Gunners still need a left-winger.

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