Vinicius Jr has made his final decision about his future, with an announcement expected ‘by the end of the week.’
After weeks of guessing, Vinicius Jr has finally made up his mind about his future. The 26-year-old forward has been linked to leaving Real Madrid this summer, with Arsenal, the Premier League champions, showing strong interest in signing the Brazilian star.
Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, hasn’t said much about Vinicius, but Spanish paper AS reports that some of Arsenal’s first-team players have been curious and asking about a possible transfer recently.
Even with all the rumors, Vinicius joined his teammates for pre-season training under new boss Jose Mourinho. In fact, he had a meeting with Real Madrid’s management on Wednesday, where they asked him and his team to give an answer about a new contract offer.
There were three options for Vinicius: stay at Real Madrid, move to Arsenal, or leave for free next summer if he didn’t renew. Now, according to The Athletic, he has agreed to sign a new deal with Real Madrid, which should be announced by the end of the week.
The same report says Arsenal’s owners were fully supportive of trying to sign Vinicius if he became available, but now it looks like a deal won’t happen after this news.
Earlier this week, Vinicius gave a little hint about his plans while talking to Real Madrid TV. He said, “It’s been great getting to know the new coach and players, and training hard. Mourinho wants me to stay happy and keep playing my football. We’re working hard to be fit for the season and avoid injuries. Pre-season is tough, but it’s important to be ready.”