Vinicius Junior is now Arsenal’s number-one summer transfer target, but the club are reportedly yet to open talks with Real Madrid or the player’s camp.
Sami Mokbel reports for the BBC that Mikel Arteta has become so ‘smitten’ with the idea of signing Vinicius Junior that the player is currently viewed internally as Arsenal’s top summer target.
Mokbel adds that Arsenal know their pursuit of Vinicius is a long shot, and those close to the player suggest it would be a difficult move to pull off. The finances involved certainly back that up.
The BBC report suggests Vinicius would cost a minimum of £130m and utterly smashing Arsenal’s record for player wages.
But Mokbel does write that the Gunners have analysed the numbers and believe they have the financial means to fund a move, with the signing having widespread backing across the club.
One advantage that Arsenal have is on image rights, with the Gunners offering players very generous image rights deals in the past. That’s not the case at Real Madrid, so it’s one area where Arsenal have the greater financial incentive.
For the time being, this is all hypothetical. Mundo Deportivo claim Arsenal have neither made contact with Real Madrid (as first reported by David Ornstein) nor with the player’s camp.
Vinicius has a meeting with Real Madrid this week to discuss a potential contract renewal, and if that goes well, Arsenal’s chances of signing him may end before they’d even really begun. If not, the Gunners are unlikely to wait around before making a move.
Vinicius is widely considered one of the world’s best wingers, and he had another strong season in 2025/26, scoring 22 goals for Real Madrid and assisting another 14.
Those stats include three goal contributions in three Champions League fixtures against Arsenal’s Premier League rivals Manchester City.
As for why the La Liga club would even consider letting the Brazil international go, he’s now in the final year of his contract. If he doesn’t extend, Real Madrid would likely want to sell before losing him on a free and paying out a significant loyalty bonus.
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