Vinícius Júnior was close to joining Arsenal: Real Madrid teammates were shocked

Vinícius Júnior was very close to leaving Real Madrid to join Arsenal. According to reports from Cadena SER, the situation surrounding a potential transfer had progressed so far that the Brazilian's teammates in Madrid considered his departure to the London club to be virtually a done deal.

His teammates were so convinced that the forward would leave for the Premier League that his ultimate decision to remain in Madrid and sign a new contract came as a genuine shock to the dressing room. They had already accepted his departure as an inevitable outcome.

While Arsenal's interest in the winger had been reported previously, it is now clear that the move was significantly closer to completion than previously understood. Instead of moving to England, Vinícius committed his future to the Spanish giants by signing a new deal that runs until 2032.