Tottenham Hotspur have firmly shut the door on any possibility of selling captain Cristian Romero to their North London rivals, Arsenal, this summer.

Arsenal’s interest in Romero stemmed from a significant injury blow to their key defender, William Saliba.

The French international is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to a serious back problem sustained during the World Cup, prompting the Gunners to seek high-calibre defensive reinforcements.

The Gunners have been in the market for a defender, with Ezri Konsa also considered a target this summer.

Arsenal have made a surprise inquiry for the Argentine defender but were met with a swift and decisive rejection.

However, sources confirm that Tottenham are completely unwilling to entertain any offers from Arsenal.

The club has made it clear that they will not conduct business with their fiercest rivals under any circumstances, effectively ending any chance of a cross-London switch for the 28-year-old.

Before their approach for Romero, they reportedly had a bid rejected for Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa, with Villa demanding a fee in the region of £60 million for the England international.

Real Madrid has increased their contract extension offer, but it still falls short of Vinicius’s initial demands, and they are urging him to respond as soon as possible.

According to AS, Real Madrid has raised its initial offer for Vinicius’s contract extension, but it remains far from meeting his demands. The ball is now in the Brazilian winger’s court. The two parties held talks on Wednesday, attended by Vinicius’s agent Frederico Pena and by José Ángel Sánchez and Juni Calafat from Real Madrid.

Neither side completely dominated the negotiations, but a compromise has emerged that could lead to an agreement if the player accepts. Sources say Real Madrid’s offer will not remain valid indefinitely, and the club wants a response as soon as possible. Vinicius’s contract expires on June 30, 2027, and the countdown to renewal has begun.

Arsenal is also monitoring this protracted renewal saga, with Arteta hoping to seize the opportunity to advance contact and even convince Vinicius that they could be teammates next season. However, to reach that point, the current deadlock between Vinicius and Real Madrid must first be resolved. Real Madrid originally had no intention of increasing the offer further, but still showed willingness to reach an agreement, hence the raise. The decision now rests with the winger.

AS previously reported that Vinicius had lowered his initial demand of close to €30 million per year to nearly €20 million net per season, plus performance bonuses. The contract details also include a significant element: a renewal bonus, similar to the signing bonus Mbappé received upon joining. Additionally, Vinicius wants to increase his share of image rights revenue, which is currently slightly over 50%, and hopes to continue raising it. SER radio reported that Real Madrid’s bottom line is €24 million net annually.

This figure is higher than the €20 million they were initially willing to offer, but still lower than the €30 million that appeared at the beginning of negotiations. The Brazilian player’s team stated that both parties also included multiple performance bonuses, which makes the player believe that the club and he are now aligned. Both sides are optimistic about this new contract, which would run until 2031. However, after demonstrating sincerity, Real Madrid also hopes to receive a reply soon.

While the future remains uncertain, Vinicius was accompanied by his most trusted advisor, Tata Soares, during training with the team at Valdebebas yesterday. Soares also attended the meeting. Meanwhile, Vinicius sent an intriguing signal on social media. The Brazilian star suddenly cleared his social media account, leaving his 639,000 followers and the entire football world momentarily puzzled. His profile picture, posts, and pinned content all disappeared. Coincidentally, this action occurred on the same day the situation shifted.

Everton have signed midfielder Christian Norgaard from Arsenal on a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee.

The 32-year-old Denmark international has reportedly joined the Toffees for £7m., external

Norgaard, who signed for Arsenal last year in a £15m deal from Brentford, was left out of the Gunners squad for a friendly against Real Betis on Wednesday.

He made 20 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions last season but just seven of those were in the Premier League, as the north London club won their first title in 22 years.

Everton have also signed central midfielder Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough for £16.5m this summer, along with 20-year-old winger Tyrique George, who was signed from Chelsea for £18m having spent the second half of last season on loan at the Toffees.

Norgaard said he was “very intrigued” about the project after speaking to manager David Moyes, adding: “Coming here just makes that feeling even stronger.”

He added: “I think the club is moving in the right direction and last year was proof of that. I thought there were so many good players in the team and Everton was so difficult to play against.”

Norgaard previously spent six years at Brentford and became a key player for the Bees, captaining the side and making 196 appearances.

Moyes has been looking for experienced players to add to his squad following the departures of the Republic of Ireland defender Seamus Coleman, 37, and 36-year-old Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gueye.

Midfielder James Garner, 25, is also set to miss the start of the new season after the England international had groin surgery last month.

Everton start their Premier League season against Crystal Palace at home on Saturday, 22 August.