Arsenal’s hopes of signing Vinicius Jr this summer have received a potential boost following developments at Real Madrid involving RB Leipzig midfielder Yan Diomande.
Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has claimed that Diomande has reached a verbal agreement to join Real Madrid if the two clubs can agree on a transfer fee.
Leipzig are continuing to demand more than €100million, equivalent to £85million, for the Ivory Coast international, making a deal difficult to finalise at this stage.
Diomande has also reportedly reached a similar verbal agreement with Paris Saint-Germain, who have been linked with signing the midfielder throughout the summer window.
Real Madrid are said to have agreed a contract with Diomande that runs until at least 2031, underlining the club’s genuine interest in securing the player’s signature.
The potential arrival of Diomande at the Santiago Bernabeu could have a significant knock-on effect on the future of Vinicius Jr at the club.
Vinicius’ current contract with Real Madrid runs until next summer, fuelling speculation that the La Liga giants may look to sell now rather than lose him on a free transfer in 12 months.
Arsenal were reported to have added Vinicius to their shortlist of potential forward targets on Saturday, as the club looks to strengthen its attacking options this summer.
However, new Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly made it clear to the club’s hierarchy that he wants Vinicius to stay and would not welcome a move to Arsenal.
Vinicius scored 22 goals for Madrid last season as they finished second in La Liga and reached the quarter-final of the Champions League, underlining his enormous value to the club.
The Brazilian forward also featured for the Brazil national team, who reached the quarter-final of the World Cup, further cementing his status as one of the game’s elite players.
At 26 years old, Vinicius represents one of the most exciting attacking talents in world football, and Arsenal will be monitoring the situation closely as the summer window progresses.
