Vinicius Jr embraces Mourinho's 'happy football' philosophy amid links with Arsenal

Real Madrid’s forward Vinicius Jr is settling into life under new coach Jose Mourinho with a smile on his face despite uncertainty looming over his future at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 26-year-old, who has been one of the cornerstones of Real’s attack in recent years, gave an optimistic review of his second day of pre-season training under the Portuguese coach despite speculation linking him with a possible move to Premier League club Arsenal.

"It has gone very well, getting to know the new coach and the new players, and training very hard," Vinicius told Real Madrid TV. "Mourinho wants me to be as I have always been: happy, cheerful and playing my football."

Vinicius' cheerful demeanour, however, masks a potentially thorny situation brewing behind the scenes.

The Brazilian is in the final year of his contract at the La Liga club, with Spanish and British media reporting that Mourinho’s side and player are in negotiations while Premier League champions Arsenal are interested in the player.

Vinicius, who has scored 128 goals for Real and provided 100 assists, is one of the main contributors to the club’s success since joining them in 2018 and the Spanish giants are reluctant to let one of their prized assets leave for free next year.

He was part of the Brazil team at the World Cup, where they were knocked out in the last 16 by Norway, and his focus now is on preparing for the new season.

"We have to prepare physically so that during the season we have fewer injuries and can count on everyone," said Vinicius, who was Brazil's top scorer at the World Cup with four goals.

"It was a good training session and we all left very tired, but now it's time to rest for tomorrow. That's how pre-season is and we have to be ready."