The Real Madrid manager says he would not have stayed in Vinicius’s position, as it emerges that Arsenal were prepared to make the Brazilian their highest-paid player in the summer.
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has admitted that, in Vinicius Junior’s position, he “probably wouldn’t be here”. He said he would have forced a move to a country where the winger would be respected, although he did not name Arsenal. The 26-year-old was a leading summer target for Mikel Arteta’s side. Vinicius instead signed a new contract that keeps him at the Bernabeu until 2032, and is currently serving a four-match suspension.
What Mourinho said
Mourinho said: “If I were in his shoes, I probably wouldn’t be here. I would have forced a move to a country where he’d be respected, but out of loyalty to Real Madrid and love for the club, he stayed.”
He continued: “He believes things can improve, and he still has that smile. Nothing and no one can take it away from him. He’s a fantastic guy, and it’s easy to get along with him. I spend a few minutes alone with him every day. I value him immensely because he always manages to live and survive with a smile.”
Vinicius has said that leaving La Liga would “give the racists what they want”, after facing abuse throughout his time in Spain. Arsenal were willing to make him their highest-paid player. He had entered the final year of a contract worth £400,000 a week.
The Arsenal interest and the new deal
Spanish newspaper AS reported that a potential Arsenal transfer fee was around €150m and that Arsenal’s salary offer was about €30m a year net. It said Real Madrid eventually agreed to pay him about €24m net a year. These figures come from Spanish reporting, not published contract terms. There is no confirmation that Arsenal made a formal €150m bid.
When Real announced the extension in August 2026, the club said he had made 375 appearances and scored 128 goals since joining in 2018. He has won 14 trophies, including two Champions League titles and three La Liga titles. The new deal runs to 30 June 2032.
Suspension and form
Vinicius is suspended for four La Liga matches, for pulling an opponent’s hair and protesting aggressively towards the referee. According to the research notes, the first offence involved Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba, and each offence carries two matches. Real Madrid have appealed, and no successful appeal has been confirmed. Unless it succeeds, he will miss:
- Sevilla, on Sunday 18 October
- Barcelona, on 25 October
- Racing Santander
- Valencia
He will therefore miss next weekend’s El Clasico, as Real try to close the gap on Barcelona, who have won all nine of their league games. Real are nine points behind with a game in hand.
Following the ruling, Vinicius criticised what he sees as inconsistent treatment of attacking players. He claimed he had been fouled about 500 times, with opponents receiving only five red cards. He also raised concerns about Lamine Yamal and Julian Alvarez. These are his claims, not verified disciplinary statistics.
Folha de S.Paulo reported on Sunday that he is having his poorest start to a season since moving to Spain, with one goal and three assists in eight La Liga appearances. He has started nine of Mourinho’s 10 games in charge. Mourinho has said Vinicius must improve some aspects of his performance but continues to defend his work ethic.
Roma and the Champions League
His ban applies to La Liga only. According to the research notes, Mourinho said at his Saturday press conference that he expected Vinicius to start Real’s next Champions League game on Wednesday, though he stopped short of guaranteeing it. The notes do not name the opponent.
Vinicius was substituted after 59 minutes of Real’s 4-3 Champions League win at Roma on Wednesday. Mourinho said: “Vinicius had a very tough match, and as I said after the game, the main culprit for that was (Roma manager Gian Piero) Gasperini. He had a very difficult first half, and at the start of the second, Roma’s power to finish down the right flank was gone.”
He added: “What bothered me was the nature of the second goal at a moment when the match was calm. We knew how they jumped to the man in that type of frontal build-up. But it’s okay. I made five changes, not one.” He said the substitution was tactical and not disciplinary. Endrick, who replaced Vinicius, then scored in the win.
Team news and the wider row
Mourinho confirmed that Eder Militao returns to the squad against Sevilla. Predicted line-ups suggest Yan Diomande could play in attack alongside Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler, but Mourinho has not said who will replace Vinicius. He also said he would not personally ask for January signings, preferring a small squad, though he is open to proposals from the club’s sporting department.
Spanish reporting also describes tension between Real Madrid, Mourinho and La Liga president Javier Tebas, following Vinicius’s red card and the club’s criticism of refereeing. It does not prove referees have deliberately treated Vinicius unfairly.
