Real Madrid have made a fresh contract offer to Vinicius Junior amid the ongoing interest from Arsenal in signing him, according to ESPN.
The Gunners have shown a willingness to sign Vinicius this summer and manager Mikel Arteta has already spoken to the Brazil international.
The Spanish tactician has told the 26-year-old that the Arsenal project would revolve around him.
ESPN now report that Madrid have made an improved contract offer to Vinicius of around £18.9 million per year after a long impasse.
There is still a significant gap to Vinicius’ demands of £25.7m per year.
Madrid would be open to selling him if there is no agreement on an extension, given he has entered the last year of his contract.
The Gunners have genuine interest in signing the Flamengo graduate and have received encouragement after Madrid’s latest proposal.
Los Blancos reopened contract talks with the 26-year-old after more than a year (as per ESPN), but their offer is well short of the player’s demands.
There is currently a sizeable £6.8m annual package difference between Vinicius’ wage requirements (£25.7m) and what Madrid have offered recently (£18.9m).
Vinicius’ representatives believe the upcoming contract could be a defining one for the winger and Madrid should ‘appropriately recognise’ what he has done for the club since arriving in 2018.
The onus is probably now on Madrid to increase their proposal and come closer to the player’s demands. If not, the door could open for his high-profile departure, potentially to the Gunners this summer.
Arsenal may need to spend a British record fee of around £129m to secure the services of Vinicius, who made 36 goal contributions in all competitions for Madrid last term. The next week or so could indicate where Vinicius’ future could lie for the 2026/27 season.
Stats from Transfermarkt