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Your matchday briefing on Arsenal, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt Verri
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Arsenal are growing in optimism over signing Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior, with a crucial meeting scheduled for later this week.
That is according to ESPN, who report that Real Madrid and Vinicius Jr’s representatives will sit down to discuss the Brazilian’s contract renewal on Wednesday (August 5).
While Vinicius continues to seek a salary close to €30m per season, it’s understood that Los Blancos will remain firm on its latest offer of €22 million annually as they have no plans to increase it.
As such, the report also states that the situation has resulted in Arsenal's confidence is growing over a deal for the 26-year-old, with the transfer fee expected to be around €150m (£128m).
If the Gunners were to pull off this blockbuster deal, Vinicius Jr would become the club’s record signing, eclipsing the £105m paid to West Ham for Declan Rice in the summer of 2023.
Furthermore, the Brazil international would become the most expensive player in Premier League history by £3m as Liverpool splashed £125m on Alexander Isak from Newcastle last summer.
Interestingly, Real Madrid have done business with Premier League clubs this summer. First signing Marc Cucurella from Chelsea prior to the World Cup, while Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva arrived on free transfers after leaving Liverpool and Manchester City respectively.
This week, Los Blancos confirmed the sale of both Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios to Fulham, banking £42.5m in the process.
As Arsenal face an anxious wait to learn of Vinicius’ decision, Mikel Arteta, just last week, called for the club to be ambitious in the transfer market as they attempt to kick on for more success following their Premier League title win.
He said: "This has to be the start and this has to be the standard.
"Excellence has to be our standard and this has to drive to attack the future. The way we behave daily with more and more determination and ambition because we've shown that we've got it.
"Now we have to show that we belong to this level and we want to increase and take this football club to a different dimension."