Arsenal appear to have given up on their dream of signing Vinicius Junior, with the English club's hopes of landing the Real Madrid winger this window all but gone.
According to the Spanish newspaper "Marca", the Gunners are now convinced Vinicius will renew his contract at the Bernabeu. That belief has prompted the London club to abandon any thoughts of tabling a huge bid to prise the Brazilian away.
Arsenal had been the frontrunners for Vinicius, particularly once Real Madrid opened the door to selling their winger for a fee north of 100 million euros. The player's own stance, though, offered the English club no hint that he fancied a move.
Everything hinges on that contract. Talks over Vinicius's financial demands rumble on, and with his current deal expiring in the summer of next season, Real face a simple choice: strike a new agreement or sell him now to avoid losing him for nothing.
"Marca" indicated that Vinicius has so far not shown any public desire to leave Real Madrid, nor has he issued any statement or message via social media suggesting a wish to take on a new experience.
With Vinicius drifting out of reach, Arsenal have turned to other options to bolster their attack. Gabriel Martinelli's future remains up in the air, while PSG's Bradley Barcola has emerged as a leading candidate. Liverpool are also in the hunt.
For now, then, the Vinicius pursuit has become nothing more than a summer daydream. The Brazilian looks set to stay in Madrid and put pen to a new deal.