Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho makes Vinicius Junior stance clear amid Arsenal interest | OneFootball

In the last 24 hours, it has been confirmed that Arsenal are working on a deal to sign Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid. The Premier League champions sense an opportunity with the 26-year-old, who has less than 12 months remaining on his contract.

Real Madrid have always been confident that they would be able to agree a new deal with Vinicius, although with talks having yet to wield a positive outcome, there is a concern that time is running out. The emergence of Arsenal will have complicated matters, although club officials are clear that an agreement is still their top priority.

Among those desperate for Vinicius to agree a renewal is Jose Mourinho. As per The Telegraph (via MD), the Real Madrid head coach has made it clear that he does not want the Brazil international to leave, with this stance having been communicated to the club’s hierarchy.

Mourinho will take hands-on approach during upcoming talks

In fact, Mourinho himself intends to be involved in upcoming talks between Real Madrid and Vinicius’ representatives. The two parties have yet to come close to reach an agreement after several negotiations over the last 12 months, but the Portuguese could end up being the catalyst that brings about a positive resolution.

Mourinho has had a lot of power at Real Madrid since returning in June, with the club having prioritised the signings that he has wanted for his squad – such as Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella and Bernardo Silva. Club bosses could also give more leeway to Vinicius’ camp in terms of contract demands if the Portuguese asks for this to be the case, although it remains to be seen exactly how things play out when Vinicius returns next week to begin his own pre-season schedule, at which point negotiations will resume between the club and his representatives.