Real Madrid put Vinicius Junior ultimatum on table as Arsenal lurk

Real Madrid have reportedly warned Vinicius Junior they will look to sell him to Arsenal if he rejects their latest contract offer. According to Marca, the Spanish side have given the 26-year-old an ultimatum after Arsenal's interest emerged. The proposal is described as Real's final one, though no details on its length or salary have been shared. Vinicius has one year left on his contract in the Spanish capital. Various reports said extension talks had hit an impasse, so the player and the club agreed to pause negotiations during the World Cup. Now Madrid are pushing for an answer. Marca adds that Vinicius wants to earn the same as the club's current top earner, Kylian Mbappe, but Real have rejected that demand. Arsenal's interest is not new. insider sources reported last Saturday that the Gunners were exploring an ambitious move for Vinicius. sources first reported in June that Arsenal wanted a left-sided attacker for the 2026-27 Premier League season, and the same outlet believes Vinicius would be open to joining Arsenal if he decides against signing new terms. sources also says Arsenal hold an interest in Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, who is admired by Liverpool as well. Arsenal have already signed Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier, while Piero Hincapie has made his loan deal permanent. Vinicius is widely considered one of the best players in the world. He came through Flamengo's youth system and scored 14 goals in 69 appearances for the Brazilian club before agreeing to join Real Madrid in May 2017. The transfer became official in July 2018, when he turned 18. Since then, he has scored 128 goals in 376 games for Real and won 14 trophies, including Champions League titles in 2022 and 2024. He scored in both finals, against Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund. For Brazil, Vinicius has 13 goals in 54 caps, with four of those coming at this summer's World Cup in North America.