Are Arsenal being used in the Vinicius Junior saga? – opinion

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·2. August 2026

Are Arsenal being used in the Vinicius Junior saga? – opinion

Most Gooners seem to accept it’s unlikely that Vinicius Junior becomes a Gunner this summer.

Yet the last couple of days have been the closest it has looked to becoming a reality.

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For the last couple of weeks, a potential deal for the player has reportedly been approved by all departments at Arsenal. Any transfer fee and wages would break the club’s existing records, but it has been suggested by those in charge of the finances that the numbers work and a lucrative package can be put together for the Brazilian.

Arsenal have become a genuine option

Not only are the Premier League champions ready to make an offer if the 26-year-old does not extend his Real Madrid contract, but that he is also happy with the proposed wages and percentage of image rights.

Yes, the player himself (or his representatives) has reportedly been in dialogue with the Gunners.

All parties are under no illusion that north London would be a contingency plan. The attacker’s preference is to remain in the Spanish capital.

Yet the media in Spain remain adamant that the latest deal Florentino Perez has put on the table will be the last one: take it or leave it.

If his employer can’t match, or is not willing to match, what he can earn elsewhere, then Vinicius Junior may genuinely view the Emirates as an exciting place to work.

(Photo by Wagner Meier/Getty Images)

Or are Arsenal simply strengthening his hand?

Yet it would be naïve not to consider all possibilities. One of them could be that Arsenal are being used as a pawn in a battle of power at the Bernabéu.

He wouldn’t be the first person to use another job offer as a negotiation tactic. That happens all the time, not just in football but across many industries.

While his employers may have been serious about their ultimatum, that may have been based on the belief that no one would better the salary they currently pay.

Mr Perez could now find his bluff being called. The president can be told he risks losing the Brazil international if he refuses to offer greater access to his image rights.

Only receiving 50 per cent of his commercial revenue is reportedly a major point of contention. Vinicius Jr doesn’t simply want a compromise because he is motivated by money; he also wants to feel valued. The belief that Kylian Mbappe keeps 80 per cent of his brand deals while he has to surrender half of his is understandably a blow to the ego.

The Spanish giants may still remain true to their word. They may have their own financial limits that they refuse to exceed.

Long term, they may also feel it is important to show the rest of the dressing room that they won’t be dictated to, particularly regarding their image rights policy.

Yet the player has a better chance of getting what he wants now that he has another offer on the table. By being in contact with Arsenal, Vinicius Junior arguably holds more cards than he did a month ago.

Is that all this is?

Dan Smith

Do you think Arsenal are genuine contenders to sign Vinicius Junior, or are they simply being used as leverage in his contract negotiations with Real Madrid? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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