Mourinho told Vinicius Jr 'not worth' leaving Real

What the report says

Jose Mourinho said he helped persuade Vinicius Jr to stay at Real Madrid, telling the Brazil winger it was “not worth” leaving the Spanish club. The comments were reported by BBC Sport Football and come after Vinicius, 26, signed a new six-year deal at the Bernabeu earlier this month, despite being in the final 12 months of his previous contract and attracting interest from Arsenal during talks.

Mourinho, 63, discussed the issue on Spanish television and suggested Vinicius had grown attached to Real through his experience at the club. The former Real manager said he asked the player where else he would want to go, arguing that leaving would only make him realise later what Real Madrid represented. He added that the team’s progress and working environment had helped convince the winger to commit his future.

The BBC report also said Mourinho addressed a separate Champions League incident involving Vinicius last season, when Real players accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of racial abuse. Prestianni denied the allegation, and UEFA later suspended him for homophobic conduct. Mourinho said Vinicius could rely on his support.

In the same interview, Mourinho said Real had also shown interest in Manchester City midfielder Rodri, but the player’s hesitation over a move made the club step back. He also described himself as a more controlled manager than in the past, while insisting he had not lost his competitive edge.