Arsenal may look to rekindle their interest in Vinicius Junior next year, and thanks to their recent form, Real Madrid have confirmed they don’t need to keep the Brazil attacker.

Vinicius, 26, has been one of the best players in world football for several seasons, but while he is still regarded as a truly elite forward, his form so far this campaign has been hugely underwhelming.

The Brazil superstar has only registered four goal contributions in 11 games across all competitions for Real Madrid in 2026-27, and rumours in Spain suggest that although he recently signed a lucrative contract extension with Los Blancos, his long-term future at the club isn’t guaranteed.

In fact, when asked about the Brazil superstar last week, Los Blancos boss Jose Mourinho even admitted that he should’ve left the club this summer.

“If I were in his shoes, I probably wouldn't be here,” Mourinho confessed to reporters. “I would have forced a move to a country where I'd be respected, but out of loyalty to Real Madrid and love for the club, he stayed.”

Arsenal were keen to sign Vinicius ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, amid their pursuit of a new left winger, and it’s understood that bolstering Mikel Arteta’s attack remains the club’s priority in the market after failing to land a replacement for the departed Gabriel Martinelli before Transfer Deadline Day.

The likes of Kenan Yildiz, Kevin Schade and Alex Baena, as exclusively reported by FootballTransfers, are all on Arsenal’s radar, while a move for Vinicius could take place if Real Madrid open the doors to a sale.

Analysis: Do Real Madrid need Vinicius Junior?

While Vini Jr has been an integral player for Real Madrid over the past few seasons, their recent form has confirmed they simply no longer rely on him.

They secured a comeback win against Roma after Vinicius’ substitution last week, before swatting aside Sevilla on Sunday and RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

After missing the win over Sevilla due to suspension, Vinicius was reinstated in the starting XI to face Leipzig, but he failed to register a goal or an assist before being withdrawn in the 69th minute. Yan Diomande, his replacement, subsequently provided an assist for Kylian Mbappe before finding the back of the net four minutes later.

In total, the Ivorian now has three goals and three assists in his last four games for Real Madrid, with his immense form coming as a left winger.

Meanwhile, Mbappe undoubtedly looks more comfortable without Vinicius, with the pair often getting in each other’s way when included in the same team.

While they are both superstars, Mbappe is now definitively the main man of this Real Madrid attack and it appears as though Diomande is far better-suited to playing alongside the France forward than Vinicius. And the Ivory Coast star is beginning to find his feet at the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid’s recent form has confirmed they no longer need Vinicius, and for that reasons, in addition to the enormous transfer fee they would earn through a sale, Los Blancos should seriously consider parting ways with the Brazilian in 2027.