Vinicus Jr set to STAY at Real Madrid despite Arsenal interest as Mourinho pulls rank

Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho has intervened and Arsenal target Vinicius Junior will not leave the club, according to reports. Sky Sports have claimed that the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager is keen to keep the Brazilian in the Spanish capital, scuppering Mikel Arteta's hopes of a landmark signing.

The forward is into the last 12 months of his deal at the Bernabeu and uncertainty had been cast over his future at Madrid with the prospect of losing him on a free transfer. However, Mourinho has stepped in and Los Blancos will reportedly not sanction a sale while there is confidence that he will sign a new deal with the club.

The Gunners had shown a genuine willingness to fund a move for the 26 year old after identifying the winger as a considerable upgrade on their current options, according to football.london.

Arteta's side had been assessing the feasibility of pushing through a deal, with the Premier League-winning manager giving his blessing for the transfer to go ahead.

Arsenal had been on high alert regarding the prospect of snapping up Vinicius, with the two-time Champions League winner entering the final 12 months of his contract at the Bernabeu.

However, the Gunners will now be forced back to the drawing board, with Mourinho determined to keep his prized assets available as he prepares for his first season back at the helm.

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It is understood that Vinicius and the Spanish giants are poised to enter fresh discussions, with the Brazilian international fully expected to put pen to paper on a new long-term contract.

Club president Florentino Perez is reportedly central to the negotiations and has made no secret of his determination for the forward to stay. Real Madrid head into the upcoming season aiming to topple rivals Barcelona from the top spot, after Hansi Flick's side cruised to La Liga glory with relative ease.

Despite falling short of domestic honours, Vinicius remained integral to Real Madrid's attacking play, contributing 22 goals and 14 assists across all competitions. BBC Sport revealed earlier this week that the forward was open to staying at the club but wished 'to feel loved' with his new contract reflecting his significance to the side.

Mourinho's team have been active this summer following the signings of Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva on free transfers, while they secured Marc Cucurella and Denzel Dumfries from Chelsea and Inter Milan respectively.

Arsenal begin their Premier League title defence against newly-promoted Coventry City on August 21 as they seek to successfully retain their top-flight trophy.

Christos Tzolis became the most recent summer acquisition after finalising his switch from Club Brugge. This summer's transfer window has proved a challenging market to navigate following the missed opportunities for Morgan Rogers and Jeremy Monga.

Chelsea and Manchester City moved swiftly to secure the two highly-regarded additions following Arsenal's public chase of the duo. Vinicius' standing could mean that any transaction for his services will surpass £100million.

Any transfer would almost certainly have implications for Gabriel Martinelli's future, with the club understood to be willing to entertain offers this summer.