Jose Mourinho may attempt to block the sale of Vinicius Junior should Arsenal come in with an offer.
It was revealed on Saturday that the Real Madrid talisman was one of several names under consideration by Arsenal should they decide to sign another forward this summer.
They have already added the prolific Club Brugge forward Christos Tzolis this week, but may well re-enter the market as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his squad ahead of a Premier League title defence.
Standard Sport understands the club are yet to approach Real about a deal and simply hold an interest in signing the Brazil international, who is entering the final year of his contract. Real do not want to let him leave for free.
The new Real Madrid boss Mourinho, though, is prepared to fight to keep Vinicius in the Spanish capital.
Per new reporting from The Telegraph, the Portuguese has informed his superiors that he wants all his big-name players to stay at the club this summer.
It remains to be seen whether Real will adhere to that request, with Aurelien Tchouameni widely linked with an exit.
The state of the relationship between Vinicius and his new head coach is also unclear after Mourinho sided with Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni when accused of racially abusing Vinicius.
Arsenal, meanwhile, need to strengthen on the left flank. Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli split the burden of that position last season, but neither quite hit the level desired by Arteta. Trossard has since left the club to join Besiktas, while Martinelli remains in situ. Tzolis can play across the front three, and it remains unclear where he will be utilised this season.
Vinicius is a prolific goalscorer and consistent creator. He hit five goals and assisted another in five World Cup matches this summer, and notched 21 goal contributions in 36 La Liga appearances last season.
His wages may prove problematic if he joined Arsenal, though, with reports suggesting he is currently paid £400,000 per week.
