Liverpool triumphed over Real Madrid on Tuesday night, and the Reds may now have a good chance of taking one of their star players, too.
It was Alexis Mac Allister who won the day for Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League, but after the game, Vinicius Junior was a hot topic of discussion once more.
The Brazilian was unable to make an impact on the night. He failed to have a shot on goal, didn’t succeed in his dribble attempts, and was largely contained by a very impressive Conor Bradley.
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This comes just a week after the Real Madrid man caused a scene by reacting angrily to being substituted off against Barcelona, and there are now major doubts over Vinicius Jr’s future.
Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger at the Club World Cup
Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images
Arsene Wenger believes Real Madrid will want to sell Vini Jr
After that situation in El Clasico, our transfer expert Graeme Bailey claimed Real Madrid had told Vini Jr he can leave the club. Now, it seems Arsene Wenger agrees with that line of thinking.
Speaking to beIN Sports prior to the Liverpool vs Real Madrid game, Wenger said: “They have a question mark about Vinicius. I’m convinced that after what happened in the last game, when he was substituted, has not been accepted well in Madrid.
“They have always had the desire to show that the club is bigger than any of the players. So I am not completely convinced that the future of Vinicius might be at Real Madrid.”
Liverpool and Arsenal were linked with Vinicius in the past and it is thought the attacker is interested in coming to the Premier League.
Vinicius released a statement after the Barcelona game apologising for his actions, insisting he will keep fighting for Real Madrid. But, by the sounds of it, Real Madrid may have already given up on him.
Is Vinicius Junior worth the risk?
What do you get if you sign Vinicius Junior? Yes, you get a top class player who is capable of producing moments of magic. But, you also get a player whose attitude has caused plenty of problems, too.
Liverpool, for example, are trying to lay the foundations for a new era and prepare for the eventual departure of the talismanic Mo Salah. Bringing in a big, brash personality like Vini Jr would arguably be the wrong move and could disturb those delicate foundations.
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Arsenal, meanwhile, might be a better fit for Vini Jr. They are a team that seem to revel in the so-called ‘dark arts’ and Mikel Arteta is not afraid to encourage his players to show their emotions. With Bukayo Saka on one side, Vinicius on the other, and Viktor Gyokeres through the middle, we could see Arsenal hit the next level.
There’s no doubt that any club signing Vinicius will have to pay big money to Real Madrid, regardless of his situation there, and we know the player commands a big wage, too. It will be a costly venture for any team, and one where the pay-off might just be worth it if they can handle the downside of the player’s temperament.