Mourinho says Vinicius Junior should have forced Real Madrid exit to find respect

Jose Mourinho has said he would have pushed Vinicius Junior to leave Real Madrid for a club where he is “respected”, after the Brazilian winger rejected a summer move to Arsenal and signed a new contract keeping him at the Bernabeu until 2032.

Arsenal had identified Vinicius, 26, as a top transfer target, with Mikel Arteta willing to make him the club’s highest-paid player. The winger had entered the final year of his existing £400,000-per-week deal in Madrid, but ultimately chose loyalty over a move to north London.

“If I were in his shoes, I probably wouldn’t be here,” Mourinho said. “I would have forced a move to a country where he’d be respected, but out of loyalty to Real Madrid and love for the club, he stayed. He believes things can improve, and he still has that smile. Nothing and no one can take it away from him.”

Vinicius has previously stated that leaving La Liga would “give the racists what they want”, a reference to the sustained racial abuse he has faced throughout his time in Spain. Mourinho was fulsome in his praise of the winger’s resilience, adding: “I spend a few minutes alone with him every day. I value him immensely because he always manages to live and survive with a smile.”

The forward has started nine of Mourinho’s ten games in charge this season, contributing one goal and three assists. He was substituted after 59 minutes in Real’s 4-3 Champions League win away to Roma on Wednesday, a match Mourinho described as difficult for his player.

“Vinicius had a very tough match, and the main culprit for that was Gasperini,” Mourinho said, referencing Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini. “He had a very difficult first half, and at the start of the second, Roma’s power to finish down the right flank was gone. What bothered me was the nature of the second goal at a moment when the match was calm.”

Vinicius is currently serving a four-match suspension for pulling an opponent’s hair, which means he will miss next weekend’s El Clasico against Barcelona. The Catalan side have made a perfect start to the La Liga season, winning all nine of their opening games, leaving Real nine points behind — though with a game in hand. Mourinho’s side host Sevilla on Sunday before the Clasico.