Mourinho reveals how he convinced Vinicius Jr to reject Arsenal

Jose Mourinho played a key role in convincing Vinicius Jr to reject interest from Premier League champions Arsenal and remain at Real Madrid after telling the Brazilian forward that leaving the Spanish giants would “not be worth it”.

The 26-year-old had entered the final 12 months of his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu, making him a potential free agent next summer and attracting interest from several top European clubs.

Arsenal were among those monitoring the situation as they explored the possibility of signing one of the world’s leading wingers.

Read Also: Arsenal weigh €150m summer move for Vinicius Junior

However, Vinicius eventually committed his future to Real Madrid earlier this month by signing a new six-year contract that will keep him at the club until 2032.

Mourinho, whose return to Real Madrid for a second spell in charge was confirmed in June, revealed that he spoke to Vinicius about his future and urged him not to leave the Spanish capital.

Speaking on Spanish television programme El Chiringuito, Mourinho said: “Vinicius has fallen in love with Real Madrid.

“The only thing I told him was: ‘Vini, where do you want to go? You’ve only been in Brazil, and you only know Real Madrid. You only understand Real Madrid when you leave. When you leave, that’s when you realise what Real Madrid is. Don’t leave. It’s not worth it.’”

Mourinho believes Vinicius’ decision was also influenced by the progress being made within the Real Madrid squad.

“I think what he has felt in terms of the group’s…