Report: Jose Mourinho powerless to stop Vinicius Jr transfer to Arsenal

The Brazilian winger is entering the final year of his contract, which expires in 2027, and has been locked in renewal talks for more than a year.

The last few weeks have been dominated by reports of a potential exit for Vini, who has been pivotal in Los Blancos' domination of Europe over the past half-decade.

While Mourinho prefers to keep the superstar winger, The Athletic reports that the final decision rests with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.

Negotiations began long before Mourinho returned to the Bernabeu, and even though the Portuguese tactician has been in contact with Vinicius, he will reportedly accept whatever the outcome is.

Vinicius continues to attract serious interest from Premier League champions Arsenal, who are prepared to break their usual wage structure to land the 26-year-old.

The Gunners view him as a transformative attacking addition if Madrid fail to renew his deal.

Vinicius is expected to return to Madrid in the coming days and is scheduled to hold talks with both Mourinho and Pérez.

Those conversations are seen as decisive. Madrid remain hopeful of keeping their star, but Arsenal remain firmly on standby should the renewal collapse.