Vinicius Junior wants his Real Madrid future settled this summer, with the Brazilian keen to avoid any prospect of leaving the Bernabeu on a free transfer when his contract expires in 2027.
Arsenal have been alerted to the situation as they look to add a genuine world-class forward to their ranks, with reports suggesting the move has been sanctioned “at all levels” of the Emirates hierarchy and that Mikel Arteta is fully behind the idea of bringing the 26-year-old to north London.
Newly appointed Los Blancos boss Jose Mourinho is understood to be firmly against losing his star forward, and Vinicius himself is said to have prioritised thrashing out fresh terms, rather than testing the market.
The Gunners remain undeterred, though, and are reportedly prepared to offer wages that could exceed 350,000-a-week, a package that would make him the best-paid player at the club, and second only to Erling Haaland in the entire Premier League.
What Vinicius Junior Has Told His Friends
Fresh contract talks are expected once Vinicius returns from an extended break following the World Cup, with both parties keen to find a resolution quickly.
According to AS editor-in-chief Tomas Roncero, the forward’s stance is rooted in a sense of debt to the club that signed him as an 18-year-old from Flamengo. Speaking on Cadena SER’s El Larguero programme, Roncero said Vinicius had been telling those in his inner circle:
“I can’t leave Madrid for free because Madrid took me in when I was 18, from a humble family, with a difficult social and personal situation, and they believed in me.”
Roncero was careful to stress this was secondhand, adding: “I’m saying what he’s telling his friends.”
He added: “They paid €45m euros when it was just a gamble, a promise, nothing more. Madrid has given me everything, I can’t leave without leaving a single euro in the bank.”
Arsenal Already Reshaping Their Front Line
Roncero stopped short of speaking for Vinicius’s representatives, noting:
“Maybe his agents are more calculating when it comes to negotiations. But that’s what Vinicius is saying, that he can’t leave Madrid for free.”
Since arriving from Flamengo in 2017, Vini has racked up 128 goals and 100 assists in 375 appearances, helping Madrid to 14 trophies, including three La Liga titles and two Champions League triumphs.
Arsenal have already been busy reinforcing their forward line this summer, signing Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge for around £34m, while also bringing in goalkeeper Illan Meslier on a free and completing a £35m permanent deal for Piero Hincapie.
Dharmesh Sheth suggested the Gunners will already be prepared with alternative targets: “Arsenal will continue to keep an eye on Vinicius Jr’s situation still. He hasn’t signed that new contract yet. As it stands, he has a year left on his contract. That’s why they are exploring the conditions of a possible deal.
“How Andrea Berta does his business at Arsenal is very clear. It’s not about one target and then the risk of that target not coming. They try to get their ducks in a row with three or four deals.”
Inter Milan have an agreement in principle to sign Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero for a fee in the region of €40million (£34million), according to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari.
Despite contributing to nine goals in his 32 appearances across all competitions, Romero endured a turbulent 2025/26 season as Spurs almost lost their Premier League status. The Argentine is subsequently looking for a new home, and the North London club are willing to sanction his departure after signing two new centre-backs this summer.
While negotiations on the player’s side remain ongoing, it’s now understood that the two clubs have reached a consensus on the proposed fee.
De Zerbi has made moves in the transfer window to replace Cristian Romero
Roberto De Zerbi has sought something of a rebuild in his defensive department this summer. Jan Paul van Hecke has been signed from Brighton for £52million, while Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson have both arrived on free transfers from Bournemouth and Liverpool, respectively.
Inevitably, this volume of additions in this area of the pitch means players will need to make way. Djed Spence has been linked with a move to Manchester United and Liverpool, as well as Inter, although the most likely player to depart has always been Romero.
The ‘world-class’ 28-year-old has been flirting with an exit for some time, and it finally appears to be close to coming to fruition. Credible reporter Longari suggests that while Romero remains interested in a dream switch to Barcelona, he’s edging closer to plying his trade in Northern Italy next season.
Inter and Spurs have agreed on a price of £34million for the World Cup winner, once described by Lionel Messi as the “best defender in the world”, and while talks between the Serie A giants and the player’s representatives about wages remain ongoing, a deal looks increasingly likely to materialise.
John Stones is also closing in on a move to Inter, who are also looking to renovate their back line.
Tottenham might be better off without Cristian Romero
via Reuters
Romero has largely been a good servant for Tottenham, but they are undoubtedly making the correct decision in choosing to move on from him.
From a squad-building perspective, Romero is 28, the club’s second-highest earner and has consistently expressed a desire to leave, so accepting an offer of around £34 million for him makes perfect sense.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Additionally, De Zerbi is probably somewhat relieved to rid himself of a player who was, at times, something of a liability from a disciplinary standpoint. The Argentina international has been sent off six times across all competitions in his five years in North London.
This reckless and rash behaviour has held Spurs back on several occasions, and they’re replacing him with Senesi and Van Hecke, neither of whom has a reputation for ill discipline.
Anthony Joshua has revealed how he truly feels about Tyson Fury ahead of their heavily-rumoured fight slated to take place at the end of the year.
After his one-sided victory over YouTuber Jake Paul and the tragic car crash in Nigeria in December 2025, Joshua returned to the ring when he took on Albanian Kristian Prenga.
A fight that seemed to be set up as a warm-up for the all-British heavyweight clash between Joshua and Fury, though the fight did not go exactly how Joshua would have wanted.
Joshua’s Chaotic Victory Over Prenga
In what was a blockbuster two-round contest, Joshua found himself on the floor from an uppercut by Prenga within 20 seconds of the first, before a flush right hook to the jaw saw the Watford man wobbling at the knees a minute later.
His showdown with Fury seemed to be up in smoke as the glove of Joshua touched the mat for a second knockdown towards the end of the round, having not recovered from the blows before.
A miraculous second round by Joshua saw a quick recovery and a push on the offensive, hitting Prenga with powerful blows, and with 30 seconds left of the second round, a flurry of blows by Joshua sent Prenga to the floor and ended a truly unpredictable affair.
A loss would have surely seen any chance of the once-in-a-generation fight against Fury off the cards. A rivalry spanning years, with mental gymnastics between the two taking place in interviews and on social media, in both playful and vicious ways.
Anthony Joshua’s Honest Opinion of Tyson Fury
In an interview with The Stomping Ground, Joshua revealed what he truly feels about ‘The Gypsy King’:
“I don’t know him enough to hate him; I just want to beat him. It’s nothing personal. It’s all good, I don’t know why they’re so moody all the time. It’s only a fight.”
Speculation about the fight has been brewing for years, with fans expecting an undisputed world heavyweight championship fight when the pair controlled the heavyweight division in 2020.
Credit: REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
Yet, it seems that both really want the fight as they approach the end of their careers, as Fury publicly called out Joshua after his victory against Arslanbek Makhmudov, saying:
“I want to give you the fight you’ve all been waiting for. I want you, AJ. Let’s give the fight fans what they want, the Battle of Britain.”
A call-out that Joshua replied to, saying: “I’ve never had a problem getting in the ring with you. I punched you up when we were kids, and after watching you here tonight I’ll punch you up again.”
Following Joshua’s victory, a planned date and location has emerged for the contest, meaning that the bout could be just a short time away.
Liverpool are now preparing to table a huge £128m bid to sign Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, as more details emerge on a potential deal.
Liverpool’s interest in the France international is clear after they missed out on signing number one target Yan Diomande earlier in the summer, and they now want the 23-year-old at Anfield next season.
It was interesting that he seemingly wasn’t their top target in this window, given they also tried to sign him last summer, but they are now ready to step up their efforts to get a deal over the line.
While the Reds have brought in Victor Munoz to strengthen the quality and depth they have on the wings, they are still lacking a top-class Mohamed Salah replacement following the Egyptian’s exit this summer.
While Munoz, Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha will currently compete for a spot on the left flank, it is a different story on the right with Federico Chiesa, Ngumoha and Jeremie Frimpong battling for that spot as things stand.
Liverpool know they need a player capable of replicating the goals and assists Salah has for them over the years, and there aren’t many better options who could be available this summer than Barcola.
Liverpool Ready to Submit £128m Offer for Barcola
via Reuters
According to DaveOCKOP, Liverpool are set to launch a huge offer to Paris Saint-Germain to land a player they’ve wanted for one year.
The report says that the bid will be worth €110m up front, with €40m in performance-based add-ons. That would take the value of the offer to €150m (£128m).
