Real Madrid has reportedly offered a significant salary increase to forward Vinicius Junior, aiming to secure his future with the club amidst reported interest from Arsenal. The proposed new contract could see the Brazilian international earn approximately £18.5 million (€22 million) per year.
Arsenal, under manager Mikel Arteta, has expressed ambition for the summer transfer window, making initial inquiries about the player last week. However, Real Madrid has responded by reportedly re-opening transfer talks with Vinicius after earlier discussions stalled last season. According to ESPN, the offer represents a potential raise of nearly £4 million from his current reported salary of £14.9 million per season.
While Vinicius is said to have no issue with the proposed salary from club president Florentino Perez, an agreement has not yet been reached on a signing-on fee. The duration of the potential new contract also remains unclear, with Vinicius' current deal set to expire in less than a year. Should a new contract not be signed, Real Madrid could risk losing the player on a free transfer, with the possibility of him signing a pre-contract agreement as early as January.
Vinicius, who joined Real Madrid in 2018, is reportedly viewing this potential contract as the most significant of his career, reflecting his development into a Ballon d'Or contender. He returned to the club's pre-season camp on Monday for medical tests and his first training session under new manager Jose Mourinho.
In parallel, Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta has remained assertive about the club's transfer plans. Following the £34 million signing of Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, Arteta stated, "We expect to have movements in the next few weeks, obviously. We want to get better like anybody else, and you can see the transfer market and our opponents... We won't sit still and we are very ambitious with what we are doing." He emphasized the need to increase internal competition and identify areas for team improvement, though Arsenal has already faced a setback with Newcastle United rejecting a bid for Bruno Guimaraes.