The calendar has flipped to August. Which means we're in the dog days of the NBA's year-round calendar. Little will happen over the next two months as teams across the league prepare for the 2026-27 season. Before we move on, though, let's reflect one last time on last year.The Oklahoma City Thunder had a league-best 64-18 regular-season record. Juggling injuries all year, they overcame notable absences all year. Alas, they fell short of a second NBA championship with a 2026 Western Conference Finals exit.To reflect on their 2025-26 season, Thunder Wire will conduct player grades for all 20 players who suited up for them this past year. First up is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who won a second consecutive MVP award:2025-26 statistics:31.1 points6.6 assists4.3 rebounds55.3% shooting38.6% 3-point shooting87.9% free-throw shootingAdvanced stats:True-shooting percentage:66.5%Usage rate:33.4%Win shares:15.2VORP:7.8Free-throw rate:46.5%Steal percentage:2.0%Significant Percentile Finishes:Isolation scorer:92.6 percentileTransition scorer: 89.7 percentileP&R ball-handler:96.5 percentilePost-up scorer:83.8 percentileSpot up scorer: 70.6 percentileOff-screen:97.7 percentileContract:2025-26:$38.3 million2026-27:$40.8 million2027-28:$60.8 million2028-29:$65.7 million2029-30:$70.5 million2030-31:$75.4 million (player option)Thoughts:How do you follow up one of the greatest individual seasons ever? By roughly doing the same things. Gilgeous-Alexander continues to stamp himself as one of the best of this era. Back-to-back MVP awards have penciled his name among the NBA pantheon. It's one thing to win the prestigious award once in your career. But twice? Now you're entering even rarer company.In case there was little doubt, Gilgeous-Alexander cemented his spot in basketball lore he's the latest addition to the long lineage of all-time guards such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry. Zooming out, four consecutive 30-point campaigns on superb efficiency is some absurd stuff only the greatest ever have done. The fact he's a lanky 6-foot-6 guard makes it even more ridiculous. We're seeing big-man-esque efficiency from a slender player. All mostly on finesse, too.The drives went down a bit. This is the first time since the 2019-20 season that Gilgeous-Alexander didn't lead the league in that category. The 28-year-old is at the point of his prime where he has to be more cognizant of saving his legs for the NBA playoffs. The best way to compensate for that while still being a walking 30-point bucket? Becoming near automatic in the mid-range. He's done that for a handful of years now. But this past season saw him become even more reliant on his lethal jumper. As well as getting to the free-throw line at a high clip.You're seeing one of the NBA's best scorers amid his prime. He's putting up video-game numbers that even other all-time scorers like Kevin Durant couldn't match. He usurped one of Wilt Chamberlain's records with the longest active 20-point streak at 140 consecutive regular-season games a record that's still ongoing. When you're an NBA legend who withstands history, you're usually remembered for one of your many superhero powers. For Gilgeous-Alexander, it'll be his insane floor as a scorer. No matter what, you can bank on 20-plus points on superb efficiency.Besides the scoring, Gilgeous-Alexander kept the Thunder afloat all season. Battling injuries all year, he was one of the main constants. That helped them maintain the NBA's best record. At this point, he's a 60-win machine. OKC has had the first seed for three straight years. That's an insane value to have. Even if it's hard to quantify with digestible stats. It gives the rest of his team plenty of leeway. There's a reason why they go from the best offense to below average in his on-off splits.Elsewhere, Gilgeous-Alexander improved on the nuances of his game. His passing was better. He won't ever generate highlight-worthy plays, but he makes the right decision. Something that's super critical to develop as teams get even more daring with their blitzes on him. At this point, he's mastered his gravity. The leverage created with it opens up looks for the rest of his teammates. There's really nothing left for him to dramatically improve on. He's about as perfect a franchise player as you can get. But the minutiae of his game's evolution are something hoop fans can appreciate.Even though the Thunder fell five wins shy of their back-to-back ambitions, Gilgeous-Alexander didn't need a second ring to legitimize the historic individual season he had. He had one of the more unorthodox ascensions into NBA superstardom, but the last four years have been some of the most dominating era of hoops we've ever seen from one player. He's won about every award and trophy you can think of. All before he even hits 30 years old. Not much else to check off the to-do list. Except for a few more rings to add flair to his resume. As long as he's healthy, OKC will be smack-dab in the middle of the title conversation.Moving Forward:Just keep up the pace. It may be a little unfair to expect a fifth 30-point campaign, but that's the type of feat that adds to your NBA mythos. Gilgeous-Alexander has proven he can do it in his sleep. And the 28-year-old is at the peak of his basketball powers. These are typically part of the best years of a player's prime. He's at the top of the NBA mountain. Congratulations on that. Now, it's about maintaining your spot there as other players try to make the climb up.The entire thesis behind the Thunder being an automatic title contender stems from Gilgeous-Alexander. Everything starts and stops with him. That will remain the status quo until he shows signs of aging. Which I don't believe will happen in this upcoming season. Sure, the aesthetics might change. I think we're behind the days of him leading the league in drives. But his sharpen other areas of his game to keep his production at an elite level. As said earlier, the mid-range jumper is automatic. He's one of the best ever operating in that area of the floor. He's also had a love-hate relationship with the outside jumper. Maybe he expands on that.It's going to be extremely difficult to win a third MVP award. History suggests you stop receiving them after a couple sans a few exceptions such as LeBron James and Jordan. But that doesn't mean Gilgeous-Alexander will suddenly stop playing at an MVP-level. Everything about his game suggests he's going to age gracefully. And while I think we're still amid the peak of his career arc, that's a nice cushion to have in the back of your mind if you're OKC.All that said, what could Gilgeous-Alexander tangibly improve on? I can think of one area his recent playoff performances. I know, I know. He still played at an All-NBA level as the Thunder went to the Western Conference Finals. But there's no hiding just how much his efficiency dropped when he faced the San Antonio Spurs. The scoring numbers were still awesome, but it devolved into a high-volume, low-efficiency diet. Suddenly, his legendary scoring floor lowered. There were cracks of inconsistency between games.The Thunder needed Gilgeous-Alexander to be Superman. He was that in their season-ending Game 7 loss to the Spurs. But for the prior six games of the series? He was closer to Clark Kent. Now, I'm not ready to hit the panic button yet. We're just a year removed from him winning the NBA Finals MVP trophy en route to a championship. But he's due a monstrous postseason outing this upcoming year. Especially if he wants to reach his goals of being viewed as one of the greatest ever. You add to your lore in the playoffs. Those are the moments that stick with you the most.Final Grade: A-plusThis article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: 2025-26 Thunder player grades: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The German Football Federation (DFB) has joined the attacks on FIFA president Gianni Infantino over his now abandoned World Cup investor plans while the Danish and Dutch FAs said bluntly they had lost faith in him.The events surrounding this project initiated by Gianni Infantino must now be thoroughly investigated. The FIFA president acted in a unilateral, opaque and ultimately irresponsible way in terms of football, DFB president Bernd Neuendorf said.We must now work together with UEFA and other confederations to ensure that a fundamentally different culture takes hold at FIFA. A culture in which decisions are once again primarily discussed and made by the members within the governing bodies.FIFA had announced on Tuesday that it wanted to sell minority stakes in a planned company overseeing its commercial rights and tournament operations to private investors. Members who endorsed this by September 19 would receive a $20 million bonus.UUEFA said it would boycott FIFA events if the project became reality and the FIFA scheme was also rejected by Asia's AFC and the CONCACAF confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean.That meant that FIFA and Infantino would have no majority from the 211 members and Infantino said early Saturday that the plan was scrapped.Neuendorf stopped short of saying the DFB had lost confidence in FIFA and Infantino like UEFA did earlier Saturday, but the UEFA stance was supported by Denmark's DBU and the KNVB in the Netherlands.DBU chief Jesper Mller said he fully agreed with UEFA that confidence in Infantino had been lost and that is why I cannot support him either.Withdrawing the proposal was the only right decision and it was to be expected. International football was at a crossroads where some of the values that form the heart and soul of the game were under pressure, Mller said.The KNVB said: With the withdrawal of the proposal, the matter is not settled for the KNVB. The way in which this process has unfolded has led to a fundamental breach of trust in the leadership style of FIFA President Gianni Infantino."The KNVB no longer has any confidence in his leadership. This situation calls for a serious discussion about the future of governance and leadership within FIFA.

Mike Evans was the San Francisco 49ers' big offseason splash at wide receiver, and it looked like he'd lead a relatively young wide receiver group. Then third-year WR Ricky Pearsall aggravated a knee injury he suffered in 2022 and left a hole atop the 49ers' depth chart. The team chose to fill that vacancy with veteran WR and long-time 49er Deebo Samuel. While Evans didn't anticipate playing in the same receiving corps as Samuel, he told reporters after Friday's practice that he's excited to play alongside the 2021 All-Pro."Deebo's my guy," Evans said. "I've been knowing Deebo. I met him at the Pro Bowl in 2021, I think? 2022 or something like that. And we hit it off, man. We were hanging out all week. Really cool guy. I love the way he plays the game. I think he's gonna bring what he brought before to the team. That energy, that versatility. Hell of a pickup for us."Where exactly Samuel slots into the receiving depth chart remains to be seen.Ideally it would be rookie second-round pick De'Zhaun Stribling climbing into the WR2 role with Samuel as a tertiary option. First-year receivers sometimes struggle to get their sea legs in Shanahan's offense, though, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see Samuel and Evans on the field in two WR sets with some frequency early in the season. Samuel did make an official visit to the 49ers on Friday per the NFL's transaction wire, but the 49ers haven't officially announced the signing yet which means Samuel and Evans weren't on the practice field together Friday. With his visit out of the way it wouldn't be a surprise to see that addition announced and Samuel on the field before the weekend is out. More 49ers: Where do the 49ers rank in the 'Madden 27' NFL team ratings?This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Veteran WR says Deebo Samuel is 'a hell of a pickup' for the 49ers

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CHICAGO The mission for Fridays Yankees-Cubs game was to recreate one of my best baseball memories. In the late 1990s, while covering the Phillies, I spent a game in the Wrigley Field bleachers.What made the day memorable then was meeting a longtime Cubs season-ticket holder who was blind. He had big headphones on to listen to the game on the radio. He was keeping score in Braille.He savored all of the Wrigley smells, everything from burgers on grills to foul odors.I thought of this man frequently over the years every time Id tell people about one of my favorite days as a baseball writer. I shared this story with a few Yankees players over the past week while asking if they had any fan encounters with Bleacher Bums.Cody Bellinger, a Cubs outfielder from 2023-24, assured me that I would have a blast out there. Max Fried told me, It always looks like a party out there in the bleachers. I told Spencer Jones to look for me out there if hes playing left field.My real goal for Friday was to find a good story. The Yankees 2-0 victory didnt count.I got lucky.I met and hung out with two of the Cubs oldest and most loyal fans in Section 511, Row 14 of the bleachers.Judy Caldow, a 77-year-old retired psych ed teacher, has been sitting in the bleachers for almost every Cubs home game for more than 60 years.One seat to her left was Linda Medo, a 67-year-old season-ticket holder who started going to games in 1969. She said her claim to fame is I live in New Jersey Kearny, N.J. Since moving to Jersey for work in 1992, Linda has attended about 30 Cubs games a year. The topper for me, the blind man whom Id met all those years ago, sat one row in front of Caldow and Medo for decades through last season. He was out there with them last year for a Cubs-Brewers playoff game.Sadly, Howard Tucker died at age 79 this past May. Caldow was a pallbearer at the funeral and kept half of her friends ashes.***Early Friday morning, I took an Uber from my downtown Chicago hotel up Lakeshore Drive to Wrigley. dropped off my laptop in the press box, then killed a few minutes talking college football with former Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who was working the game in the YES Network TV booth. Then I headed down to the Yankees clubhouse for pre-game media availability.I briefly chit-chatted with a few players, but didnt do any interviews.At 11:15 a.m., I decided Id better head out to the bleachers before manager Aaron Boones 11:30 media session. Fans would be let into the ballpark soon, and I wanted to get a good seat because its all general admission out there first come, first served.Out in left field, I took a seat in the first row and chatted with the guy next to me, a Chicago police officer. Chris Sloniec told me that his parents were from Europe and had never become interested in baseball. He became a Yankees fan at age 9 in 1990 because Don Mattingly was his favorite player. Sloniec, 45, worked outside Wrigley Field for Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS, the infamous Steve Bartman game.I saw him being escorted out of the ballpark, but didnt know what was going on.Sitting along the left field foul line, Bartman interfered with a foul ball that Cubs left fielder Moises Alou could have caught. It led to the Marlins rallying for a late win. The Marlins went on to win Game 7 and prevented the Cubs from winning their first pennant since 1945.When the Cubs finally made it to the World Series in 2016, Sloniec was out there again working Games 3, 4 and 5. He was also outside Wrigley, off duty, when the Cubs were in Cleveland for Game 7. He said Cubs fans reaction to the first championship since 1908 was insane.Craziest thing Ive seen in my life, Sloniec said. Ive seen Bulls championships with Michael Jordan. Crazy. Ive seen the Blackhawks win Stanley Cups. Even more crazy. The Cubs championship, theres no way to even explain it.***Directly behind me, a Yankees fan who migrated from New Jersey to Canton, Ohio, sat with three family members. As a kid, Jim OHara used to deliver Star-Ledger newspapers from 1980-82. He paid $650 for four tickets to see the Yankees play in Wrigley Field, $50 above face value.Even before seeing a 2-0 Yankees win, OHara got his moneys worth sitting behind the ivy-covered outfield walls in the majors second-oldest ballpark. Wrigley Field opened in 1914, two years and three days after the Red Soxs first game at Fenway Park.This is a baseball mecca, OHara said. I love this ballpark. I love the atmosphere. This place is classy. Between Wrigley, Fenway, and the old Yankee Stadium, you cant ask for a better ballpark.The bleachers filled up as it got close to game time. Then, right around 1:20 p.m. CT first pitch it started sprinkling. When it started coming down a little harder, I regretted leaving my windbreaker up in the press box.When the Yankees took the field for the bottom of the first inning, Jones jogged out to left field. I wondered if hed remember to look for me. He took his warm-up throws, looked up, made eye contact with me, and lobbed the practice ball my way.The rookie misfired just a little: A teenager with a glove sitting two seats to my left jumped for it, but it deflected off his mitt to a Cubs fan one row behind us.After the second inning, the rain was coming down harder. My 2027 Ryder Cup polo was getting soaked. I decided to head up to the press box to get my jacket.The Chicago police officer next to me promised to save my first-row seat in section 504.***Up in the press box, I charged my cell phone for 10 minutes, then headed back toward the bleachers. Before climbing the steps, I looked out at the Waveland Ave. buildings and the Wrigley rooftops. Id never been up there. I decided to see if I could talk my way in.I walked to the front door of the second building on the left and approached a woman with a list of names. I showed my press pass and asked if I could go in for a few minutes to talk to fans for my story. She made a call to the supervisor, who OKd my visit.The first thing I noticed was two front doors to apartments G and I. Id never known the Wrigley rooftop was atop residences. I walked up about 20 stairs and into the lower-level party area. For $150 to $300 a pop, you get to see most of the playing field but not home plate, plus food and drinks. There were big-screen TVs, too, but nobody seemed to be paying much attention to the game. The batter was too far away to see.Everyone was sipping on beer and talking while gazing out at the field.The burgers smelled good, but the pass around my neck was a 2026 BBWAA credential, not the one that gets you food and drink.Hungry to find a good story, I headed upstairs to the rooftop and met a few Yankees fans. They were everywhere and made up around half of the 150 or so ticketholders.I met Mark Iozzo, who works at a car dealership about 25 miles southwest of Chicago in Westmont, Illinois. Hes a White Sox fan who loves baseball. He traveled to Cleveland for Game 7 of the 2016 World Series and scalped a ticket for $3,500.Iozzo participated in a fraternity brothers baseball reunion over the last two days. Eighteen of them watched Thursdays Yankees-White Sox game from a Rate Field Suite, and on Friday, they had rooftop seats for the Yankees-Cubs series opener.If you want the honest truth, these seats suck, Iozzo said with a grin.***After 20 minutes or so in a building with rooftop seats, I headed back to Wrigley Field and into the left-field bleachers.I went to an usher and asked if he knew anyone whos been a Wrigley Field bleachers regular for years. He told me that I should talk to an usher named Vito. Hes been working there for decades. He said I could find Vito in the right field bleachers.Vito wasnt there. He was working near first base Friday; a security man told me before leading me to one of the bleachers most famous fans.When Caldow agreed to talk to me, I stood behind her and let her tell me her amazing baseball story. She was 8 in 1963 when she went to her first Cubs game with her grandfather, who worked at the fire station right outside the Wrigley bleachers on Waveland Ave. The ushers let firemen and guests in free back there.This was love at first sight for Caldow, who soon started attending games with her father. They always sat in the bleachers. He made her keep score.That started another tradition. She buys a scorecard for every game and keeps score from the first out to the last out. She said she left a game early just once, and it was because her mom had to go.By the Cubs count, Caldows now up to more than 4,200 games, but she said the number was higher because her early years werent counted.I have to check my scorecards, Judy said.She had kept them all, and everyone had a newspaper box score from the game scotch-taped on. She also taped her ticket stub to the scorebook until the Cubs stopped printing them after the 2019 season.Its just crazy little things people do, Judy said.For Fridays game, her scorebook was covered in plastic due to the rain.You want to see what I have behind it, she said. Its my scorecard from a Savannah Bananas game. Look, I even scored the whole game.Watching baseball at Wrigley has changed a lot over the years. Caldow protested when the ballpark added lights in August 1988, but got used to them because night games are better for a teacher who is addicted to Cubs baseball.Shes not thrilled by many of the casual fans who buy bleacher seats these days.Gamblers used to sit here with us, Caldow said, Now these people want to take pictures of their beer. They collect beer cups and stack them up. They call them beer snakes. Its very annoying.Theyre not allowed in our section. Thank the Cubs for that.She misses some of her favorite Cubs who are deceased, especially Ron Santo and Ryne Sandberg.This weekend, shes bummed that Bellinger is on the injured list. He was a fan favorite.I met him at a convention, Caldow said. He said he got engaged and that his fiance wanted to live here. We thought he would stay.Caldows been married for 56 years but usually goes to games alone. I dated a lot of guys before I met my husband, she said. He was the only one who would tolerate my love of the Cubs.Her second family is the about a dozen regulars in section 505. She also knows the regulars in the other sections of the bleachers from standing in line with them, waiting for the gates to open.Caldow always drives the four miles from her home to Wrigley, arriving more than four hours before first pitch.I wont pay to park, she said. They charge 50 bucks. I cant afford that.***Caldow and Medo met in August 1994, the day before the baseball strike. Although both attended almost every Cubs home game in the 70s and 80s, they didnt become season-ticket holders until 1993, the first year they were available for the bleachers. The cost was $614 for 81 home dates, $7.58 a game. Bleacher tickets now fluctuate depending on the opponent, but the full season-ticket price is $3,800, an average of $46.91 per game.Medo moved from Chicago to New Jersey in 1992 to take a job in Manhattan at a supply chain management company. There was no way that she wasnt buying season tickets the next year and keeping them. She flies from Newark to Chicago for five or six homestands every year. For the last 20 years, shes also at Yankee Stadium five or six times every baseball season because her longtime live-in beau is a Yankees fan.And of course, Medo returns in October whenever the Cubs make the playoffs. Her heart was broken when they lost postseason series in 1984, 1989, 1998, three times in the 2000s, then again in 2015.Before the Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years, Medo thought they were going to blow Game 7. Her anxiety peaked when manager Joe Maddon pulled starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks with a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning.Watching from her living room in Kearny, she ripped off the head of her stuffed Maddon doll in anger. When the Cubs won, she sat on her couch for an hour, too emotionally drained to celebrate.I was out in Chicago every weekend going to playoff games and working a full-time job, she said. I was worn out.Medo decided to keep the Maddon doll, which was still in two pieces.***Cubs season-ticket holder Judy Caldow keeps photos on her phone of her late blind friend Howard Tucker, who sat with her in the Wrigley Field bleachers for decades.Randy Miller, NJ.comCaldows first call after the Cubs won the World Series was to Tucker. Theyd spent so many days dreaming of this moment as they sat together decade after decade. This was one of the best days of their life.We couldnt believe it, she said. People asked me if I ever thought Id see the Cubs win a World Series. I saw a lot of bad Cubs teams. I was here every game when they lost 101 times in 2012. Honestly, no. Now I want it again.Tucker had a nickname for his New Jersey friend. She lived in Hoboken before moving to Kearny, so he called her Hoboken Linda. Tuckers nickname was Chip because when he was born, weighing barely two pounds, a doctor said he was just a little chip.Tucker was in his late 40s when he got married in 1996. His wife, Renee, is also blind.Youve never been to a wedding until you go to a blind wedding, Medo said with a laugh.Besides negotiating their disability every day, the blind couple had to deal with their baseball rivalry. Shes a White Sox fan.They were a mixed marriage, like my family, Medo said. My mother was a White Sox fan, my father was a Cubs fan.Tucker died May 9, two days into a Cubs road trip. Six days later, he was buried on the day of a Cubs-White Sox game at Rate Field.A lot of Tuckers bleacher-bums family attended the wake. Caldow brought her Cubs win flag, a big W, and draped it over Howards open coffin.You want to see a picture? she said while pulling out her phone.At Tuckers wifes request, the Cubs victory song played as the casket was carried out of the church. Everyone changed the words of Go Cubs Go to Go Howard Go.The Cubs won that day, then lost 10 in a row.Everyone thought it was my fault for putting the W flag on the casket, Caldow said.Its not the same this year in section 505 without Tucker. Hed been out there with his baseball family for more than 55 years. Were a community, Medo said.From the bleachers, they cheer on the Cubs and talk about their lives. They make trips to Cubs road games. Caldow traveled to Texas for Greg Madduxs 300th win. When Cubs greats Billy Williams, Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo and Sandberg were inducted at Cooperstown, she was there for Hall of Fame weekend.***Wrigley Field season-ticket holder Bleacher Bums Linda Medo, 67, and Judy Caldow, 77, dance to Y.M.C.A during Friday's Yankees-Cubs game.Randy Miller, NJ.comCaldow had lunch with Tuckers widow last Tuesday at a famous sports bar thats across the street from Wrigley Field, Murphys Bleachers.Renee wants me to sprinkle his ashes on the field, but its a definite no-no, Caldow said. One person did it and lost their season tickets.Sitting in the rain Friday, Caldow and Medo were together again enjoying each others company, watching Cubs baseball and embracing everything about Wrigley Field. They stood up and danced when Y.M.C.A. was played. They kept score. They talked the whole game.This is my therapy, Caldow said. I fell in love with Wrigley as a kid. My mom thought Id outgrow it. I never did. This is really like my home.***When the Cubs had two runners on base in the seventh inning with the Yankees ahead 2-0, I was about to leave. I had to make my way from the center-field bleachers to behind third base before the game ended. Thats where the media enters the visiting clubhouse at Wrigley.You cant leave, Caldow said. If youre with us and the Cubs have a rally, you cant leave. Im serious. Thats our rule here.I stayed until the end of the inning, but I wasnt a good luck charm for the Cubs.I watched the last inning from a third-base box seat. The Cubs put the tying runs on base, then Alex Bregman hit a two-out comebacker to closer David Bednar. The Yankees held on, with solo homers from Amed Rosario in the fourth and Jones in the fifth providing the margin.In the managers office, Boone was about to take his first question with the YES camera rolling when he looked at me and said, Did you show up late today?I told him that I was in the bleachers.Oh, wow, thats a great feature, Boone said.In the clubhouse, Fried slowed up while walking past me and asked, Hey, did you go into the bleachers?I did.Was it fun? I bet it was fun, Fried said.A lot of fun.When Jones spotted me, he said. Hey, I tried to throw you a ball. Sorry, I missed you.His throw my way was part of the fun.I didnt think this experience could match my late-1990s day in the bleachers, the time I met the blind Cubs fan.I was wrong. Meeting his friends and hearing his story as an honorary Bleacher Bum was even better.Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Arsenal ownership approve anticipated figures to sign Real Madrid megastar ViniciusAccording to The Athletic, The ownership group of Arsenal Football Club has officially given the green light to fund a blockbuster move for Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. The 26-year-old Brazilian international has emerged as the Premier League clubs absolute top target to strengthen their attack, with the Gunners hierarchy prepared to commit massive financial resources to complete what would be one of the biggest transfers in football history.Strategic moves behind the scenesArsenals sporting department has been quietly working on this deal for months. Aware of the ongoing contract stalemate and growing lack of progress between Real Madrid and Vinicius, the Gunners have successfully positioned themselves to capitalise on the situation.Sporting director Andrea Berta has already held preliminary talks with the players representatives. Key figures at the North London club have conveyed a clear sporting message to the forwards camp, promising that he would become the undisputed main star of a highly stable and ambitious Premier League project.Arsenal prepared to go all-in on Vinicius. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)Financial approvals and salary exceptionsA move to Arsenal strongly appeals to Vinicius if he ultimately chooses not to sign an extension with Real Madrid. Those within Arsenal believe that an agreement on personal terms will be straightforward should the player give his final approval. Mikel Arteta loves him, a source with knowledge of the Arsenal managers outlook explained. If he doesnt renew, we will be there.To make the transfer possible, Arsenals owners have approved the daunting financial figures required for the total package. The Gunners are fully willing to break its traditional salary structure to accommodate Vinicius high wage demands. Arteta wants Vinicius at Arsenal. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)Arsenal also plan to use a substantial sign-on bonus and lucrative image rights agreements to bridge any financial gaps. While the total expenditure is incredibly high, Arsenals board believes the costs will be quickly offset by a massive commercial windfall, as Vinicius is a global marketing powerhouse who could elevate the clubs brand to new heights.Exploiting Real Madrids contract riskThe timing of Arsenals push relies heavily on Real Madrids growing contractual vulnerability. Vinicius has entered the final 12 months of his contract, which expires in June 2027. Some officials within the Spanish club heavily fear a scenario where they lose one of their brightest stars for absolutely nothing next summer.Furthermore, Real Madrid would be forced to pay the winger a significant loyalty bonus if he stays for the upcoming season without renewing. Arsenal hope to take advantage of these factors to negotiate a significantly reduced transfer fee with Real Madrid, aiming to secure the winger before other European giants enter the race