Information that Arsenal is considering signing Vinicius Junior is becoming one of the hottest topics of the 2026 summer transfer window. However, although the "Gunners" are said to have begun to closely monitor the situation of the Brazilian star, the possibility of this deal becoming a reality is still very far away.
Everything started when Real Madrid suddenly accelerated in the race to sign Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig. The young Ivorian talent is valued at over 120 million Euros and is receiving attention from many European "big guys". This move immediately sparked speculation that the Bernabeu club may be preparing a replacement for Vinicius.
In the context that Vinicius's contract is only one year left but has not been renewed, Arsenal has seen a rare opportunity to approach one of the best wingers in the world. According to many sources, the Emirates Stadium team is ready to turn the Brazilian international into the most expensive contract in club history if the opportunity really comes.
However, this deal still faces a series of obstacles. Vinicius currently receives a salary of about £400,000 per week at Real Madrid and is said to want to increase his income to nearly £470,000 per week in the new contract. This will be a huge investment even for a team with financial potential like Arsenal.
In addition, the possibility that Vinicius and his agent take advantage of the Gunners' interest to put pressure in the negotiation process with Real Madrid cannot be ruled out. Spanish media said that the gap between the two sides on contract terms has narrowed and negotiations will soon resume.
However, Real Madrid's pursuit of Diomande still raises many questions. The Royal team rarely spends more than 100 million Euros on a player in recent years, so if they spend a huge amount of money to recruit the 19-year-old star, they are likely to also have to balance the salary fund and transfer budget.
That is the reason for the hypothesis that Los Blancos may consider selling Vinicius this summer instead of accepting the risk of losing everything after the contract expires. Replacing the Brazilian player with Diomande also helps the team save significantly on salary costs in the long term.
However, the current signs still show that Real Madrid has no intention of parting ways with the Brazilian star. President Florentino Perez has repeatedly affirmed that Vinicius is an important factor in the team's plan, while coach Jose Mourinho also considers the Brazilian international an irreplaceable player.
Vinicius himself has also repeatedly expressed his desire to continue to stick with the Bernabeu despite attractive invitations from Saudi Arabia as well as the interest of top European teams.
With Diomande, if he joins Real Madrid, the Ivorian player is likely to play a role in adding depth to the attack rather than directly replacing Vinicius. The 19-year-old talent can play well on both wings and is considered an investment option for the future.
Therefore, at the present time, Arsenal has only stopped at the level of monitoring and probing the situation. If there is no major turning point in the contract extension negotiation process between Vinicius and Real Madrid, the possibility of the Brazilian striker leaving Bernabeu this summer is still considered quite low.
