When Alvaro Arbeloa was promoted to the Real Madrid first team as Xabi Alonso’s replacement, it was a breath of fresh air for Vinicius Jr but the player and the club still needed to bridge a huge financial gap in contract renewal negotiations. Several months passed without concrete talks taking place.

**This is when Arsenal began to make their move.** They operated carefully and effectively, with total commitment from the ownership to Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta.

All the key figures spoke at length with Vinicius Jr and his representatives to explain their project in depth and how the Brazilian would sit at the centre of it. The main focus was on football, but the impact and benefits that a commercial partnership would bring to both sides were also highlighted.

Even without a formal agreement in place, personal terms between Arsenal and Vinicius Jr would not have been an issue. The figures discussed during the meetings persuaded him that they were serious, and Arsenal’s owners were willing to make a huge effort, breaking their salary structure, to secure his signing. They believed their offer would make it difficult for Real Madrid to compete financially.

It was a hugely ambitious approach, and while the hierarchy were fully committed to the pursuit, some within Arsenal were dubious about the feasibility of such a deal. Others expressed concern about how a transfer of this magnitude might affect future signings or contract renewals.

Read the full article for free [here](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7505327/2026/08/11/vinicius-jr-real-madrid-arsenal-transfer-renewal/?unlocked_article_code=1.4lA.ZRZk.kROwHJUrnKlE&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_reddit&smid=re-share-ta).

How close did Arsenal get to signing Vinicius Jr? The full inside story