Madrid & Mou put their foot down: Vini Jr. going nowhere?

Three days ago, The Athletic shook the football world with a mind-blowing report that Vinicius Junior could leave Real Madrid after eight years and join Arsenal.

And while everyone is still stunned and skeptical about how the Brazilian would fare in London, Sky Sports has poured cold water on the speculation, claiming he'd stay at Santiago Bernabeu.

A new round of contract talks between Vini and Los Blancos is scheduled for this week, as the club won't let him enter the final year of his contract and potentially leave on a free transfer next June. On top of that, the Spanish giants are confident the two sides will reach an agreement.

The reasons behind Madrid's decision are varied - from sporting to purely financial.

Sky Sports states that Jose Mourinho highly values Vini and wants him to be a vital part of his team in the upcoming season, while Florentino Perez's personal involvement in the negotiations underlines the club's desire to secure the forward's future.

Earthquake in Europe: Arsenal make a move for Vini Jr?!

However, the financial aspects of Los Blancos' deal with the player may be an even stronger motive for them to pursue a new deal.

According to Vini's previous contract, signed in 2022, he shares 50% of so-called image rights with Madrid, meaning that everything he earns off the pitch is split 50-50 with the club.

Given that the Brazilian is backed by a sponsorship empire featuring 16 global sponsors, such as Nike, Pepsi, Gatorade, Prada, PlayStation, and others, it's clear how much financial value this brings to the Spanish club.

Apart from that, Vini is a global superstar with over 100 million views on social media. He is a brand and a commercial powerhouse that Madrid simply cannot afford to lose.

Because of all these financial benefits for Los Blancos, Spanish media have jokingly suggested that Vinicius pays his own wages, and even though Perez and Co. aren't thrilled at the idea of giving the 26-year-old a salary comparable to Kylian Mbappe's, it would be the wisest thing to do at the moment.