Arsenal’s hopes of bringing Vinicius Junior to the Emirates Stadium look to have suffered a major setback, with the Brazilian star now preparing to commit his future to Real Madrid. In spite of strong interest from Mikel Arteta’s side, the winger is now expected to remain in the Spanish capital and take on an important role under new manager Jose Mourinho.

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Mourinho sees Vinicius as an indispensable Galactico

According to Sky Sports News, Vinicius is set to stay at Madrid beyond this summer, with the Spanish giants having no plans to sell him and remaining confident that he will sign a new contract. The update comes as a significant blow for Arsenal, who had been watching developments very closely as the player moved into the final phase of his current deal. Mourinho is believed to rate Vinicius extremely highly and wants him to remain one of the central figures in the squad.

Contract talks set to gather pace

The hierarchy at the Bernabeu is acting swiftly to secure the player’s long-term future and shut down any remaining Premier League interest. On Monday, Sky Sports News reported that more discussions over his future between Real Madrid and his representatives are due to take place this week. The club is eager to remove any doubt surrounding their star player, particularly with just one year left on his present contract.

Club president Florentino Perez is personally involved in the process and has publicly made it clear that he wants Vinicius to stay for the long term. Madrid are also determined not to let the situation run down towards free agency, especially as his value is believed to be around £137 million.

Arsenal interest runs into a firm barrier

Madrid’s interest in Yan Diomande has drawn attention from Arsenal, who seem to have explored the possibility of using the situation to land Vinicius. However, despite optimism in north London, any move for the Brazil international now appears to have reached a clear dead end. Arteta has been eager to add a genuinely world-class match-winner to his squad as he looks to turn the Gunners into a dominant force in both domestic and European competitions.

The Vinicius situation carries some of the familiar signs of a contract stand-off: reports of a gap over salary demands, emerging interest from Arsenal and more talks still to come. Even so, there is still no strong public indication that Vinicius wants to leave Madrid for any sporting or other reason.

What happens next?

Vinicius is far more than an elite left winger. He is a global superstar and a Galactico in every sense of the term. Losing a player of that stature during a managerial change would have been a serious blow to the club’s stability, which is why Mourinho and Perez have united to make sure he stays.

It now appears that the Emirates faithful will need to look elsewhere for a marquee summer signing, with the Brazilian poised to spearhead Mourinho’s new-look Real Madrid side.