Luiz Henrique has been speaking to the Brazilian media, and Arsenal fans will be interested in what he’s said. The Zenit winger openly admitted that his childhood dream has always been to play for the Premier League club.
The forward’s comments were made during an interview with Globo Esporte. He also addressed questions from Botafogo fans about a possible return to Rio.
The 23-year-old is under contract with Zenit until the end of 2028. He made clear that he intends to honour that deal. Even so, the forward did not hide his admiration for English football, and for Arsenal in particular.
Asked whether he could return to Botafogo, he said:“I can’t talk about that now, because I’m at Zenit and I want to do a good job here. It’s a club with great structure, and I want to make history and win titles. For now, I’m going to keep the Botafogo fans curious. I can’t say if I’m coming back now.”
He then shifted to his long-term ambitions, underlining England as his preferred destination.“I’m going to let life take me. I want to fulfil my contract here at Zenit, but I have dreams of playing for a team in England and playing in the Champions League. Since I was a kid, my dream has always been to play in England. There’s a team there that I like a lot, which is Arsenal. But, as I said, I want to fulfil my contract first.”
Would Arsenal be interested?
Luiz Henrique
Rio, Brazil – july 07 2024: Luiz Henrique in Botafogo vs Atletico-MG
Arsenal have not been linked with him just yet. But his public preference will be noted in England.
Luiz Henrique has already been linked with Premier League sides in previous windows. Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace were all credited with interest when the winger was still at Botafogo. However, no formal move materialised at the time.
But his profile also helps explain why a move to Arsenal would make sense from a stylistic point of view. In Brazil, his time at Botafogo was defined by pace, direct dribbling and strength in one-v-one situations, traits that allowed him to break lines from either flank.
He could cut inside, attack the byline, finish or create chances, often combining speed with close control to open space in tight areas. That mix of physical power and technical sharpness is usually well-valued in the Premier League, and it aligns with the type of wide forward Arsenal have tended to recruit under Mikel Arteta.
For now, however, the winger insists that any future move will have to wait until he completes his spell in Saint Petersburg.
Luiz Henrique was called up to Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad in September, October and November.