Vinicius Jr reached out to Arsenal to clarify his decision to remain at Real Madrid, even after the Gunners had come close to prising the Brazilian winger away from the Spanish capital, according to reports.
Arsenal had made the 26-year-old one of their top transfer priorities this summer, buoyed by encouraging signals from those in his camp. The Premier League champions were reportedly prepared to make a major financial commitment had Vinicius been unable to reach fresh terms with Real Madrid, and sources close to the negotiations say Arsenal remained hopeful of pulling off a surprise deal right up until the closing stages of his contract talks in Spain.
According to The Athletic, discussions between Arsenal and the player's representatives had progressed positively, with the club's hierarchy laying out plans for Vinicius to be a key figure in their long-term project. That optimism was fuelled further by what were described as constructive conversations between both parties.
However, last week, Real Madrid and Vinicius Jr found common ground, ending any realistic hope Arsenal had of completing a deal. The proposal put forward by Madrid on Wednesday is said to reflect the winger's significance to the club and their ongoing plans.
Vinicius had reportedly been seeking a salary in the region of €30 million per year, along with improved image rights terms, a considerable increase on his previous deal worth €17.5 million annually, which had been set to expire next summer. Reports from Spain suggest the two parties settled on a compromise figure of around €25 million per year in wages.
Despite the agreement being finalised, contact between Arsenal and the Brazilian forward did not stop there. The Athletic reports that Vinicius personally reached out to Arsenal afterwards to explain and confirm his decision, a gesture that underlined just how seriously he had considered a move to north London.
The forward had reportedly been drawn to Arsenal's ambitious project, along with the vision outlined to him by manager Mikel Arteta, sporting director Andrea Berta, and the club's ownership. The willingness of Vinicius to maintain dialogue with Arsenal even after agreeing to stay at Madrid is seen as evidence of how open he genuinely was to a switch to the Premier League.
Ultimately, though, the report suggests Vinicius thanked Arsenal for their efforts throughout the process, while making clear that his decision to stay was rooted in his emotional connection to Real Madrid and the club's willingness to match his financial demands.
Arsenal's pursuit represented one of the more ambitious approaches from the Gunners in recent transfer windows, illustrating the scale of their aspirations under Arteta as they continue to build a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts. While the club ultimately fell short in this instance, the level of engagement from a player of Vinicius' stature will likely be viewed as encouraging by those at the Emirates Stadium, even if the immediate outcome did not go their way.
For now, Vinicius remains committed to Real Madrid, with his new deal reflecting both his value to the club and the financial commitment made to keep one of the world's most exciting attacking talents in the Spanish capital.
Based on reporting from standard-football (The Athletic).