Real Madrid reportedly expect to seal the transfer of Yan Diomande this weekend, but not necessarily as a replacement for Vinicius Junior.
The Spanish giants have been strongly linked with Diomande for some time now, with varying reports on how advanced the deal is.
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The RB Leipzig and Ivory Coast winger looks like an outstanding talent, and it seems Real remain confident that the deal can be finalised soon, according to TEAMtalk.
Their report adds that Madrid boss Jose Mourinho could be keen to use both Diomande and Vinicius together, despite the latter being a target for Arsenal.
Real Madrid’s stance on Vinicius Junior sale
TEAMtalk also claim that although Real would prefer not to sell Vini Jr, they are prepared to do so to avoid losing him on a free transfer.
That gives Arsenal major hope if it turns out the Brazil international can’t reach an agreement on a new contract with Los Blancos, as he’s now in the final year of his current deal.
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It will be interesting to see which side budges here, but things currently seem pretty optimistic from an Arsenal point of view, as they look well-placed to pounce for Vinicius amid all this uncertainty this summer.
Vinicius Junior to Arsenal transfer timeline
It’s been a busy few days on this major story, and it can be hard to keep track of developments, so here’s a handy timeline laying it all out for you…
- July 25th: David Ornstein of the Athletic dropped the bombshell that Arsenal were exploring a deal for Vinicius and had internally decided that it would be financially realistic for them to sign him.
- July 26th: Claims that Vini Jr would rather stay at Real Madrid.
- July 26th: Details from Sky Sports on the Brazilian’s huge contract demands and our look at how it would compare to Arsenal’s highest earners.
- July 27th: BBC Sport weigh in with their information on the Vini-Arsenal story.
- July 29th: A further update from Sky Sports casts doubts over Real Madrid being willing to sell Vinicius.
- July 31st: Arsenal described as confident they’re in a strong position to sign Vinicius if he decides not to sign a new Real Madrid contract, as per Mario Cortegana on YouTube.
- July 31st: Bruno Guimaraes’ agent shares an Instagram post of his client and Vinicius celebrating together for Brazil!
- July 31st: Reliable Arsenal transfer news account Hand of Arsenal claims that the Gunners have agreed personal terms with the 26-year-old.
What do you make of this saga? Could Arsenal really pull off what would be one of the biggest signings in Premier League history? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!