Not Arsenal — Vinícius Júnior wants to stay put at Real Madrid. That is the picture painted by ONE, which reports the Brazilian winger's priority this summer is renewing his contract at the Santiago Bernabéu rather than exploring a switch to the newly crowned Premier League champions.

Arsenal have indeed begun sniffing around, according to reporting from The Athletic cited in the ONE piece. But the interest is described as early and exploratory — informal enquiries rather than a concrete approach — with Mikel Arteta's club having internally flagged Vinícius as an aspirational, big-ticket addition rather than an active target with a bid attached.

The winger's own stance, ONE reports via the Spanish paper AS, cuts the speculation short: his preference is to extend and renew at Madrid, not to weigh up a move to England.

Vinícius still has roughly a year to run on his current deal, which expires in June 2027 after he signed a five-year extension back in October 2023 — an contract that included a release clause reported at around €1 billion. Renewal talks between the club and the player's camp had progressed significantly earlier in the year before stalling around the Club World Cup; they are expected to resume once Vinícius returns from his summer break.

Money is the main sticking point. Vinícius is said to be seeking close to €20 million net per season, roughly €5 million above the average he currently earns, which would make him the best-paid player in Madrid's dressing room, above Kylian Mbappé.

The backdrop makes Madrid's determination to keep him easy to understand. Incoming coach José Mourinho has reportedly told the club hierarchy he wants to retain all of his key attacking pieces, with Vinícius pencilled in alongside Mbappé and Jude Bellingham in a front three, supported by Aurélien Tchouaméni in midfield.

Club president Florentino Pérez has already put his own view on record, saying simply that "Vinícius wants to stay at Madrid and I want him to stay."

For now, then, the Arsenal story remains speculative interest rather than a live transfer saga — and by Real Madrid's own telling, one that Vinícius himself has no appetite to entertain.