Arsenal have been linked with a move for Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr, but the Brazilian is reportedly set to stay at the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho has intervened and Arsenal target Vinicius Junior will not leave the club, according to reports that the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager is keen to keep the Brazilian in the Spanish capital, scuppering Mikel Arteta’s hopes of a landmark signing.

The forward is into the last 12 months of his deal at the Bernabeu and uncertainty had been cast over his future at Madrid with the prospect of losing him on a free transfer. However, Mourinho has stepped in and Los Blancos will reportedly not sanction a sale while there is confidence that he will sign a new deal with the club.

The Gunners had shown a genuine willingness to fund a move for the 26 year old after identifying the winger as a considerable upgrade on their current options, according to football.london.

Arteta’s side had been assessing the feasibility of pushing through a deal, with the Premier League-winning manager giving his blessing for the transfer to go ahead.

Arsenal had been on high alert regarding the prospect of snapping up Vinicius, with the two-time Champions League winner entering the final 12 months of his contract at the Bernabeu.

However, the Gunners will now be forced back to the drawing board, with Mourinho determined to keep his prized assets available as he prepares for his first season back at the helm.

It is understood that Vinicius and the Spanish giants are poised to enter fresh discussions, with the Brazilian international fully expected to put pen to paper on a new long-term contract.

Club president Florentino Perez is reportedly central to the negotiations and has made no secret of his determination for the forward to stay. Real Madrid head into the upcoming season aiming to topple rivals Barcelona from the top spot, after Hansi Flick’s side cruised to La Liga glory with relative ease.

Super Falcons’ Christy Ucheibe has explained the reason behind Nigeria’s loss to Malawi in the opening game of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons suffered a stunning 3-2 loss to Malawi in their opening match on Tuesday. The ten-time African champions were heavily favoured to secure a comfortable victory against their Malawian opponents.

However, a scoreless first half hinted that the match would not go according to plan. The game exploded into life after the break, with Malawi’s Scorchers racing to a two-goal lead thanks to strikes from sisters Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga.

Nigeria fought back late, with Rasheedat Ajibade scoring in the second minute of stoppage time to halve the deficit.

But Temwa Chawinga quickly restored Malawi’s two-goal advantage, making Uchenna Kanu’s subsequent goal in the ninth minute of added time a mere consolation.

Following the match, Benfica midfielder Christy Ucheibe, who was an unused substitute, shared her thoughts on the unexpected defeat.

While expressing her disappointment, she attributed the result to the unpredictable nature of football and the growing competitiveness of the women’s game in Africa.

Ucheibe assured fans that the team would deliver a much-improved performance in their next fixture against Zambia.

“I’m going to say it’s football. Nothing went wrong; both teams played very well, and that’s just football for you. You lose, you win, or you draw,” Ucheibe said.

“But either way, you bounce back. In the next game against Zambia, we will try our best to get through this phase so we can qualify for the World Cup and defend our title.”

The Nigerian players and staff held a brief huddle on the pitch after the final whistle, and Ucheibe revealed the core message was one of encouragement.

Milos Kerkez played under Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth

Milos Kerkez says he is “delighted” that Andoni Iraola got the Liverpool job, having previously worked with the Basque coach at Bournemouth.

Kerkez, 22, played under Iraola between 2023 and 2025 before moving to Anfield last summer.

“I was delighted, honestly,” Kerkez told reporters. “I worked for him before, and he helped me and improved me a lot in the two years that I spent with him. I was really happy, obviously for myself but also for the team. Everyone knows what type of football he plays, so I think he is the perfect fit for us.”

On Iraola’s style of play and what Liverpool fans can expect, the Hungarian left-back added: “He’s all about intensity. He’s not scared to play one-on-one all over the pitch, to press high and to be on the front foot always. If you see footage of how we all are after training, all lying down, then you can see what he is preparing us for. You definitely need legs and good condition for what he wants us to do, but we will be alright.

“The gaffer likes to play more with the full-backs down the line – underlapping, overlapping. It worked well for me at Bournemouth, so I think it will also work well for me here. He always told me that as a full-back, you need to defend hard and everything that you do in front is a bonus.

“I was always focused on defending and then running forward to help the wingers. He showed me that when you do your job, you’re free then to do what you want. I felt really free with him. I know what it means to play for Liverpool. I showed it a bit last year and I am going to show it more this year.”

Kerkez and Liverpool began pre-season under Iraola with a 4-2 win over Sunderland on Saturday. The Reds take on Wrexham in New York City on Wednesday evening before concluding their pre-season tour of the USA with a game against Leeds in Chicago on Sunday.