Arsenal are pushing hard to sign Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid in what would be one of the biggest transfers of the summer window.
Real Madrid have signalled they would allow the Brazilian winger to leave, but only if he refuses to sign a new contract at the club.
According to ESPN Brasil, Los Blancos are standing firm on their latest offer and will not increase it to satisfy the 26-year-old’s demands.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is keen to add Vinicius to his squad as the Gunners look to consolidate their position at the top of English football.
There is growing optimism in North London that the move is achievable, with Arsenal believing they hold a strong position in the race for his signature.
ESPN Brasil has reported that Vinicius will return to first-team training following the post-World Cup break on August 3, which could prove to be his final season at the club.
His contract is set to expire next summer, and a date has yet to be set for further crunch talks between the player and Jose Mourinho’s side.
It has been suggested that Vinicius was open to extending his stay at the Bernabeu but “wanted to feel loved” by the club before making any commitment.
Arteta was pressed by reporters on the potential signing of the two-time Champions League winner but refused to be drawn on specific transfer targets.
The Spaniard ended one press conference this week with a simple: “Thank you so much,” deflecting questions about the Brazilian’s potential arrival in London.
However, Arteta did hint at significant incoming business, telling reporters: “Well, we are really active, trying to improve and evolve the team. That’s clear.”
He added: “We expect to have movements in the next few weeks, obviously, because we want to get better like anybody else. And you can just see it.”
Arteta continued: “The transfer market and our opponents, what we are doing, we won’t sit still. And we are very ambitious in what we want to do.”
Speaking on the club’s official website, the Arsenal manager reinforced the ambition driving activity behind the scenes this window.
He said: “A lot is happening. We all know about the context of this transfer window. From ownership to the board, the sporting director and myself, we know that we want to take this club to a different level.”
Arteta concluded: “We have identified where we have opportunities to grow and to improve and to evolve our game. Hopefully very soon we can start to put things in a very concrete way.”
