Why Cristiano Ronaldo's admission provides Arsenal hope over Vinicius Junior deal

Arsenal football club's sensational pursuit of Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior is set to enter its most crucial days.

The 26-year-old is due for a final round of contract talks with the Spanish giants, with a significant financial gap remaining between the sides.

The winger has just one year remaining on his contract and is reportedly attracted to the idea of a move to the Premier League champions, if terms cannot be agreed.

Arsenal have already indicated their willingness to meet Vinicius Jr's demands, with Mikel Arteta desperate to bring the Brazilian to North London.

The Gunners will need to agree a transfer fee with Real Madrid should they get the green light, which could still be a Premier League record fee.

But decision-makers at the Emirates Stadium have approved the potential deal at all levels, with the on-pitch quality and commercial gains considered more than worth it.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Florentino Perez comments reveal all

In 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo was coming off the back of a season in which he had scored 44 goals and provided eight assists in 44 games across all competitions.

The legendary forward had already won the Ballon d'Or five times and was Real Madrid's all-time leading scorer after nine incredible years.

The Portugal international was under contract for another three years, but was keen to sign fresh terms and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was happy to oblige.

However, when it came down to it, Ronaldo was not offered the same money that stars elsewhere, such as Lionel Messi and Neymar, were being paid.

Perez would not break Real Madrid's payment structure and trigger similar demands elsewhere in the squad, not even for the greatest player in their history.

"I felt it inside the club, especially from the president, that they no longer considered me the same way that they did in the start,” Ronaldo later said.

"In the first four or five years there I had the feeling of being ‘Cristiano Ronaldo’. Less afterwards. The president looked at me through eyes that didn’t want to say the same thing, as if I was no longer indispensable to them, if you know what I mean.

“That’s what made me think about leaving. Sometimes I’d look at the news, where they were saying I was asking to leave. There was a bit of that but the truth is I always had the impression the president would not hold me back."

How Vinicius Jr's situation compares - and may have the same outcome

It is widely reported that Vinicius Jr's ultimately preference would be to stay at Real Madrid this summer. In many eyes, they are the biggest club in the world.

But the Brazil international also wants to feel wanted, and to be paid as one of the biggest stars in the world.

If Perez did not buckle on his word for Ronaldo, then the question must be raised - why would he for Vinicius Jr?

In the summer of 2018, Ronaldo agreed to join Juventus in a deal worth around £105m.

Real Madrid's current number seven may soon take a similar path, with Arsenal the beneficiary.