Arsenal transfer news: Vinicius Junior asking price 'revealed' ahead of Real Madrid contract talks

Arsenal will have to pay a British-record £137m to sign Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior this summer, according to a report.

On Saturday, the Emirates faithful were sent into a transfer frenzy when it was reported that Arsenal were exploring a move for Vinicius as their new left-winger.

No club-to-club talks have been held, and Arsenal have also not got the green light from the players camp, but a prospective deal has been 'approved at all levels' in the red half of North London.

Vinicius is in the final 12 months of his contract with Real Madrid, who are still hopeful of tying him to an extension, and the player's preference is to agree new terms too.

However, in the event that Vinicius's camp and Real Madrid cannot shake hands on a renewal, Arsenal are best-positioned to swoop in and lure the Brazilian away from the Bernabeu.

Arsenal 'told to pay £137m' for Vinicius Junior

Real Madrid are holding out for an exceptional figure in spite of Vinicius's contract situation, though, as according to SPORT - via The Mirror - Los Blancos want £137m to sanction his sale this summer.

Such a figure would see Vinicius become the most expensive Premier League player in history, surpassing the £125m that Liverpool shelled out to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United last summer.

Furthermore, the report adds that £137m may simply be the fee required for Real Madrid to entertain discussions, and the 15-time European champions could still raise their asking price further.

In addition, Blancos boss Jose Mourinho is allegedly against selling Vinicius Junior to Arsenal, who have been told that they can afford to sign the Brazil international, but not without selling first.

Real and Vinicius are expected to hold contract discussions at the end of the month, and the club have also not ruled out extending his deal further into the season if no agreement is struck in July.

The 26-year-old managed 22 goals and 14 assists in 53 games for Los Blancos last season, before scoring four and setting up another in five matches for Brazil at the 2026 World Cup.

Who can Arsenal sell to afford Vinicius Junior?

Arsenal are already operating on a net transfer loss this summer, having signed Piero Hincapie and Christos Tzolis for a combined £69m while selling Jakub Kiwior, Karl Hein and Leandro Trossard for around £32m.

Having also raised less than £50m through player sales in three of the past five windows, significant outgoings will be needed if Arsenal are to pull off the Vinicius deal and avoid running the risk of PSR/SCR problems.

If Andrea Berta adopts a ruthless sales approach, all of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard, Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Reiss Nelson, Fabio Vieira, Ben White, Ethan Nwaneri, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz could be moved on.

Odegaard and Havertz would be unpopular exits in the dressing room, but the injury-plagued pair are in the last two years of their contracts, giving Mikel Arteta and Berta two huge decisions to make.