Arsenal target Vinicius will not return to Real Madrid training this week as doubts over his future rumble on.
The Brazil winger was knocked out of the World Cup at the last-16 stage and with new manager Jose Mourinho laying down the foundations for his second spell in charge of the club the expectation in Madrid was that Vinicius’s could return before the end of the month.
But the player is staying away while his representatives try to revive talks over an extension to his contract that runs out at the end of this coming season.
Madrid’s position is that the player’s future is in his own hands. If he lowers demands to be joint top earner with Kylian Mbappe he will stay.
But if he does not the 15-times European Cup winners have no plans to make an improved offer and the way will be left clear for Arsenal.
Vinicius Jr has not returned to Real Madrid pre-season training amid his contract stand off
New Madrid boss Jose Mourinho had expected the Brazilian to return to training this week
In a move seen as an illustration of that intention not to fold to the players’ will, Real Madrid moved closer yesterday to making their 100m euros capture of Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig official.
The player, represented by the same Roc Nation agency as Vinicius, gives Mourinho yet another attacking option in an already over-populated forward line.
The Daily Mail Sport understands Roc Nation’s talks with Real Madrid will centre on Vinicius’s huge commercial worth to the club.
The player’s current contract means he gives around 50 per cent of publicity-deal revenue to them, during the World Cup he had lucrative deals with 15 multinational sponsors – a number topped only by his international team-mate Neymar.
