Arsenal have been dealt a potentially damaging blow in their ambitious pursuit of Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior, according to the Telegraph.

Credible journalist David Ornstein revealed on Saturday afternoon that the Gunners are exploring the possibility of bringing the Brazilian winger to the Emirates. Vinicius has a year left on his contract at the Bernabeu, and while talks are set to take place over a new deal, it’s believed there’s a genuine possibility that no agreement is reached, opening the superstar wide man up for a departure.

Arsenal have emerged as early frontrunners in the race to land Vinicius, described as ‘the best player in the world‘, with the North Londoners ready to pounce should he become available.

The financial complications around the deal could present a major stumbling block in it materialising, although this isn’t the only potential issue for the Gunners.

Jose Mourinho Doesn’t Want Real Madrid to Sell Vinicius Junior

Jose Mourinho was appointed as Real Madrid’s new manager earlier this summer, replacing Alvaro Arbeloa in the Bernabeu dugout. Florentino Perez has backed the Portuguese head coach thus far, signing the likes of Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, Bernardo Silva and Denzel Dumfries.

However, the divisive club president could still be prepared to take tools away from Mourinho. The reports suggest that Los Blancos will sanction Vinicius’ exit if they cannot agree new terms with him, as they aren’t prepared to lose him for nothing next summer.

That said, the Telegraph indicate that Mourinho would oppose Arsenal’s move for the 26-year-old. The former Chelsea boss has told Real Madrid higher-ups that he wants all the big names in his squad to remain in the Spanish capital this summer.

The 63-year-old tactician is trying to rebuild a fractured club, and believes he needs all his best players to increase his chances of being successful in this regard.

Given how Perez has supported Mourinho since the manager’s return to Madrid, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the president bows to the coach’s demands, meaning this could put a halt to Arsenal’s pursuit of Vinicius.

Real Madrid Could Still Sell Vinicius Junior

Kim Price/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA via Reuters

While Mourinho’s voice will hold some power in the boardroom at the Bernabeu, Perez has the ultimate say.

If the player isn’t happy with what Real Madrid can offer him, then he won’t accept the proposal and the La Liga giants will be forced to sell. Perez won’t make an economically poor decision just to appease his new manager.

Real Madrid are reportedly chasing Yan Diomande, which suggests they’re already preparing for Vinicius’ potential exit. Perez is more likely to satisfy Mourinho’s demands by signing the highly-touted 19-year-old, rather than hoarding an asset that wants out.

Combine this with Mourinho and Vinicius’ complicated history, and all the signs point towards the player moving on, regardless of the ex-Tottenham coach’s qualms with the deal.

YouTube royalty-turned-boxer Jake Paul couldn’t resist posting on social media immediately after Anthony Joshua’s dramatic victory over Kristian Prenga on Friday night. The former two-time heavyweight champion returned to the ring for the first time since a fatal car crash claimed the lives of two of his friends in December.

The showdown, which took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was widely seen as a warm-up for AJ’s highly anticipated clash with Tyson Fury, pencilled in for November. However, the 36-year-old was made to work hard for the win, suffering multiple knockdowns – including one inside the opening 20 seconds – before finally beating his unfancied opponent.

Joshua’s last fight before this weekend came against Paul, whom he knocked out in the seventh round eight months ago. Now, his former opponent has spoken out following Joshua’s first fight since.

Jake Paul’s Social Media Post After AJ’s Win vs Prenga

Indeed, boxing rivals usually involve themselves in a war of words in preparation for their fights, which certainly was the case between Paul and AJ. However, if there was anything that proved much of the trash-talking was horseplay, it is the fact the former has come out to congratulate the latter after his latest win. Paul wrote on X (see below):

The post served as a tribute to AJ’s right-hand men, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, who were both taken away from him after the tragic car accident in Nigeria, in December. They were both part of the boxer’s camps during fights, and so had to navigate Friday night’s bout without them.

AJ Opens Up on How Difficult His First Fight Back Was

Credit: REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Following his comeback win, Aj opened up about the struggles of trying to move on from tragedy. He told The Sun: “I’m not going to make it about me, because someone somewhere has just lost their mum or just lost their dad, so you have to keep it together.

“So I’ve just got to kind of keep myself together. Because, if I was to let it get to me, I’d probably end up going crazy.” Following a pause, he added: “It just hurts – a lot. But you’ve just got to hold it together, basically, if I’m honest.”

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to listen to offers for Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur this summer, according to a top Lilywhites source.

Bentancur endured a below-par 2025/26 season in North London, contributing to Spurs’ dire struggles that almost led to a shock relegation to the Championship. This form has prompted Tottenham to not only commence a midfield rebuild, but also to contemplate selling the 29-year-old this summer.

The former Juventus star has been at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for four-and-a-half years now, and while he’s shown glimpses of quality, he’s never truly shone in a white shirt.

Despite signing a new contract last October, the North London club are now said to be open to sanctioning Bentancur’s departure in this transfer window, with his future described as uncertain.

Tottenham Open to Selling Rodrigo Bentancur

Roberto De Zerbi has evidently asked the Tottenham hierarchy to reconstruct his midfield department this summer.

Sandro Tonali was acquired from Newcastle United in a £100 million deal, with the Italian expected to become the focal point of Spurs’ midfield. Meanwhile, another £85 million was forked out on 21-year-old Mateus Fernandes, who is likely to form a double pivot with Tonali.

This leaves little room for Bentancur, who could ultimately be a casualty of this rebuild. He signed a contract last autumn that runs until 2029, but this might not prevent him from moving on in the coming weeks.

A credible Spurs source replied to a tweet on X this week by claiming that Tottenham will listen to offers for the player, and that his future isn’t certain.

While few concrete links have emerged regarding suitors for Bentancur, his potential departure would make sense for Spurs’ squad. The midfield department is currently oversized, and given the Uruguay international is the elder statesman of the group, he’s the most natural option to make way.

Where Could Rodrigo Bentancur Go This Summer?

While not setting the world alight at Tottenham, Bentancur, once described by Ange Postecoglu as ‘fantastic’, still has plenty to offer. He’s an astute possession passer, retaining the ball excellently when that’s the approach his team are taking, while he’s also adept in his defensive work when not asked to cover huge amounts of ground.

This profile would excel in the slower and more conservative Serie A, where teams are less physically dominant and are eager to use pragmatic possession as a defensive tool.

Thankfully for Bentancur, this is potentially where interest could arise. There have been next to no credible reports on a possible destination for the player, but given he spent time in Italy and made his name in the European nation, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see teams from Serie A express interest.

The likes of Roma, Napoli and his former club Juventus could be in the mix to sign the Spurs star.