Arteta takes charge of Vinicius Jr chase with promise that could change Arsenal forever

Mikel Arteta is now personally leading Arsenal's pursuit of Vinicius Junior, and the Real Madrid forward has been given a major reason to consider the move. Reports from Spain say Arteta has promised the 26-year-old that Arsenal's team will revolve around him, a message designed to show how central he would be to the project at the Emirates. Vinicius has one year left on his Real Madrid contract, and talks over an extension have so far gone nowhere. Arsenal are ready to exploit that uncertainty and are prepared to push hard financially to make one of the most dramatic transfers in their history happen. The Brazilian's frustration at Real Madrid has been growing, particularly since he has found himself playing second fiddle to Kylian Mbappe. That frustration is not only about salary, but also about status and influence on the pitch, which makes Arteta's pitch even more appealing. A resolution is expected soon, with fresh talks between Vinicius and Real Madrid scheduled in the coming days. If those discussions fail to convince the player, the door to the Emirates could swing wide open. Yet Arsenal will have to make history to sign him. Real Madrid are reportedly demanding around €150 million, which would smash Arsenal's current club-record transfer fee. That price tag does not seem to be scaring the Gunners off. Arteta has already hinted that big moves are coming. Asked about Vinicius, he laughed before insisting Arsenal will not stand still in the market. He said: "We are very active, trying to improve and evolve the team. We expect to have movements in the next few weeks. We won't sit still and we are very ambitious about what we want to do." If Arsenal pull this off, it would be the biggest transfer coup in the club's modern history - and a clear statement of intent as they chase a first Champions League title.