If load page async (https://codesandbox.io/s/angry-sun-y90on7?file=/src/main.js), then handler is never called

You can use span as slot for router-link and bind click handler to it.

Are you only able to reproduce this with RouterLink and not any other component?

Only RouterLink

For what it's worth, I put together a reproduction in the Nuxt issue here, nuxt/nuxt#10593 (comment).

I also went through the changes and confirmed this was working as intended on Vue 2.6.14 with both Vue Router versions (3.5.1 and 3.6.5) , then broken in Vue 2.7.14 with both versions so I don't think this is tied to a Vue Router change.

That said, there is documentation on the proper way to utilize a router-link that does fix the issue, see https://v3.router.vuejs.org/api/#v-slot-api-3-1-0.

Taking your example, @youngpirate32, here's a working version with the slot approach, https://codesandbox.io/s/nuxt-2-vue-2-7-click-event-bug-hzr4u4?file=/src/views/AboutView.vue. This also fixes the async version, https://codesandbox.io/s/nuxt-2-vue-2-7-click-event-bug-async-mqb3o3?file=/src/views/HomeView.vue.

@yyx990803 though this does fix the issue, I'm still curious why the order of operation of click events previously supported @click natively on the router-link, and now no longer does. I wouldn't be surprised if this was just a case of optimization.

All that to say that there is a valid, documented approach here that works to fix the issue, so this may not be a bug at all. Hope this helps!