Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior has just one year left on his contract and there are talks about a move to Arsenal.
What has happened, and what is the possibility of him actually moving this summer?
It is worth mentioning that Madrid specifically wanted to prevent this sort of scenario from happening. Vinicius joined Madrid in 2018 as an 18-year-old, signing a six-year deal until 2024.
He renewed his contract in 2022, extending it from 2024 to 2027. His salary from the next extension was initially around €12m a year, but it increased over time to about €18m a year in 2026.
Madrid started discussions over an extension as far back as 18 months ago, in the beginning of 2025, because they hoped to agree a deal and prevent any situation where Vinicius would be left with just one year in his contract.
That has now happened, and it is due to negotiations stalling in those 18 months over his financial package. Vinicius’s current salary is roughly equal with Kylian Mbappe’s, but the Frenchman earns much more due to the signing bonus he received when he joined Madrid as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024.
Vinicius and his representatives want something much closer to what Mbappe is currently earning and their latest proposal is for a total package close to €30m a year. Madrid are unwilling to pay that. Their most recent proposal is around €20m.
Fresh talks are expected when Vinicius returns to training next week, when Madrid hope to bring the situation to a conclusion.
🤩 ¡VINI, VIDI, VICI! 🤩@vinijr | #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/BiPRnmSREs
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 6, 2021
Can Arsenal Sign Vinicius?
Arsenal are ready to move for Vinicius Junior if the Brazil forward fails to agree a new contract with Real Madrid, with the Premier League champions having identified him as their leading attacking target.
The club have approved the financial framework for a potential deal and believe the 26-year-old would consider a move if negotiations with Madrid break down. They expect to come to an agreement on personal terms should he decide to leave Spain.
But can Arsenal actually afford this deal? With Vinicius due for a new contract at Madrid he expects a significant increase from his current earnings, which would most certainly put him well ahead of Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s current biggest earner.
However, Arsenal believe Vinicius would strengthen the team on the pitch while also increasing the club’s commercial appeal, according to sources familiar with the club’s thinking. They are prepared to make an exception to their usual wage structure, as well as include a signing bonus and an image-rights deal that favours Vinicius.
Sporting director Andrea Berta has held discussions with the player’s representatives, while senior figures at the club have outlined a project in which Vinicius would become the central figure under Arteta following Arsenal’s Premier League title success and run to the Champions League final, which they only lost on penalties after conceding a second-half equaliser.
Vini 🔗 Jude pic.twitter.com/z7Lw7wxtOe
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 28, 2026
Would Vinicius Be Willing to Leave Madrid?
It would seem it is currently much more financially rewarding for Vinicius to stay at Madrid for one more season at least. The Brazilian is due a loyalty bonus next year, and when his contract runs out he can sign for another club as a free agent, which would give him a significant advantage in negotiating is wages and signing bonus.
So that means that by simply staying put with his current package, next year he could collect the loyalty bonus, a signing bonus for a new club, as well as significantly improved terms.
Madrid would not want to lose him on a free and may be open to a sale, but if he delays a move to Arsenal, they might be forced to concede to at least much, if not all, of his demands to secure his signature on an extension.
