Vinicius Junior nearly joined Arsenal before signing new Real deal

Vinicius Junior signed a contract extension with Real Madrid last summer — but he was reportedly moments away from leaving the club and completing a move to Arsenal in London.

Negotiations over a new deal between Vinicius and Real stretched for more than a year, with the forward unhappy about how the club had treated him and demanding wages in line with top earners such as Kylian Mbappé. Real initially resisted.

How the transfer nearly happened

Spanish reports say the player was prepared to depart and had even packed his bags to move to Arsenal. "Vinicius was very close to joining Arsenal and a good part of the dressing room considered his departure a done deal," the reports said.

In the end, club president Florentino Pérez yielded to the demands and Vinicius stayed. Club sources insisted that Real did everything possible to keep him: "Florentino Pérez has always been clear in his desire for him to stay. José Mourinho convinced him he is a key player for his project."

On the pitch, however, the Brazilian has struggled this season. He has registered one goal and three assists in eight appearances, and commentators describe this as the toughest stretch of his Real career. "The reality is that this is the most difficult moment of his career since joining Real Madrid. He has no choice but to arm himself with patience and work hard to regain his untouchable status and recover the loyalty of the Bernabéu," the reports added.

Vinicius has been with Real since 2018 and, to date, has played 383 matches with a return of 129 goals and 103 assists. By remaining in Madrid he has chosen to keep fighting at the highest level — but now the expectation is that he answer critics where it matters most: on the pitch.

Photo: AFC Xtra @AFC__Xtra (X)