Jose Mourinho would oppose Vinicius’ move to Arsenal as speculation grows – report

Jose Mourinho would oppose Vinicius’ move to Arsenal as speculation grows – report According to The Telegraph , Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is ready to block a potential summer move by Premier League champions Arsenal for forward Vinicius Jr., informing the club’s hierarchy that he intends to keep all his star players. Arsenal’s interest in the 26-year-old Brazilian international is understood to be genuine, as the North London club looks to respond to manager Mikel Arteta’s demands for squad investment following their UEFA Champions League final defeat in May. The Madrid standoff While internal discussions have taken place at Arsenal, no formal club-to-club talks have occurred between the teams. Vinicius presents an administrative challenge for Real Madrid, as his current contract is set to expire at the end of June next year, and negotiations regarding a renewal have made minimal progress. Additional questions remain regarding his internal relationship with Mourinho following the Gianluca Prestianni episode last season. Mourinho wants to keep Vinicius. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) Nevertheless, Mourinho remains entirely adamant that Vinicius, Kylian Mbappe, and Jude Bellingham must stay together in his team. The Portuguese coach, who oversaw his first match of his second Madrid tenure on Friday in a behind-closed-doors fixture against Alcorcon, wants his core squad completely excluded from any transfer sales. Concurrently, Real Madrid are focused on pursuing Manchester City midfielder Rodri, the player whose 2024 Ballon d’Or victory over Vinicius prompted a club boycott, while also monitoring 19-year-old RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande. Arsenal’s financial realities From Arsenal’s perspective, securing a deal for Vinicius would present significant obstacles beyond Mourinho’s firm opposition. Arsenal wish to sign Vinicius. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) The forward’s current salary is understood to be approximately £400,000 per week. Introducing such a high wage package would complicate their upcoming contract extension talks with Declan Rice, as well as ongoing managerial contract negotiations with Arteta. Furthermore, generating revenue through player sales remains a primary administrative priority for the English champions, who spent £268 million in transfer fees during the previous summer window. Therefore, there are several challenges in the road ahead if Arsenal do decide to press forward with their pursuit of Vinicius, with Mourinho very much intent on keeping hold of the forward at Real Madrid.