Vinicius has just 12 months left on his contract and Madrid could be inclined to sell him this summer rather than let him leave for free next year. Even before the sale of Leandro Trossard to Besiktas, a marquee attacker was a priority for Arteta in his attempts to bolster their chances of defending their Premier League title this upcoming season.
The Madrid superstar certainly fits the bill, but he isn't the only forward that Arsenal have had their eyes on this window. Yan Diomande has been a target for the north London outfit, with Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Madrid all registering serious interest in signing the RB Leipzig left-winger.
While Vinicius is currently the superior player, Diomande, 19, is seven years younger than him and is equally adept at playing on both flanks. The Brazilian's contract situation could have played a role in Madrid moving forward in their attempts to sign the Ivorian, having launched an unsuccessful £85million bid for his services.
Arsenal's interest in Vinicius could be a calculated tactic to force Madrid to focus on extending his contract, which could result in the Gunners moving ahead of the pack in the race for Diomande.
Talks may continue to loom over the Brazil international's future, but according to Diario AS, there is optimism that a deal can be reached to continue his eight-year tenure at the Santiago Bernabeu.
That optimism seems to have no bearing on their efforts to sign Diomande, with Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg reporting that the winger has reached a 'verbal agreement' to join the La Liga side.
However, the deal has hit a speed bump, with Leipzig managing director Marcel Schafer casting doubt on the progression of Diomande's move to Madrid. The German appeared to indirectly slam Fabrizio Romano for seemingly confirming Diomande's eventual sale on X.
The Italian had used his catchphrase 'Here We Go' when claiming an agreement between Leipzig and Madrid had been found in a deal worth over £85m for the Ivorian. Schafer unequivocally told Sky Germany: "It’s clear that some so-called transfer experts reported a few days ago that the deal was done or gave it the ‘here we go.’ That’s simply not the case. We’re not at that stage yet."
