Vinicius Jr is being eyed by Arsenal in the transfer window as they look to defend their Premier League title in 2026/27, but a deal will not come cheap
10:24, 27 Jul 2026Updated 10:27, 27 Jul 2026
Arsenal are showing an interest in Vinicius Jr this summer, as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of the new season.
The Gunners have had a frustrating window so far, with the club missing out on players, including key target Morgan Rogers. The England international completed a move from Aston Villa to Chelsea in a £117 million deal.
Mikel Arteta is keen to add to his squad ahead of the Premier League season opener against newly-promoted Coventry City. Arsenal take on the Sky Blues at the Emirates Stadium on Friday, 21 August (8pm kick-off).
Real Madrid are likely to demand a huge fee if they are to sell Vinicius this summer. So, how should Arsenal approach a possible move?
Our writers have had their say…
Amie Wilson
As a football fan, seeing Vinicius Jr in the Premier League is something that I would be really excited about, so I could imagine the excitement around the Emirates Stadium if Arsenal do manage to pull off a deal.
Given how the transfer window has gone so far, it would certainly provide a big boost to Arsenal’s hopes of retaining the Premier League title and going one more in the Champions League.
Arsenal have refused to be bullied over a fee so far, but it feels like they should, and maybe can push the boat out for the right player. While it will demand a huge fee and a huge wage, the possibility of bringing the Brazilian to Arsenal is one the club should take.
It feels like it would send a clear message to both Premier League and Champions League rivals. The concentration for the opposition will be on Vini Jr. If teams try to mark him out of games, it will open up more opportunities for Arsenal’s other attackers.
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Aaron Morris
Vini Jr arriving at Arsenal would be a statement of intent this summer, in that the Gunners are not messing about in their endeavours of defending their Premier League title. Flashback to this time last year, and the Brazilian winger was probably categorised as one of the exciting talents that Premier League fans would never see playing consistently on English soil.
Spoken about in the same vein as the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, it's a nigh-on impossible task to pry away a key talent from Real Madrid and Barcelona as a result of ridiculously high release clauses embedded into contracts. However, the fact that Vini Jr is said to be unsettled at the Bernabeu brings an air of reality to the table.
At 26, the winger is in the prime of his career at present, and would definitely bring the attacking threat that Arsenal were missing last term. The Gunners' dependence on set-pieces is not something they can rest on once more this season, and need creativity in the final third should they hope to avoid second season syndrome and successfully defend their title - especially with their nearest rivals making their own marked improvements this summer.
My only concern is that a £137m price tag and ludicrous wage demands would put a huge hole in Arsenal's budget, when an out and out striker should probably be the club's main priority. While Viktor Gyokeres impressed in-part last season, the Swedish striker wasn't exactly the goal machine that Mikel Arteta was expecting after his £55m plus add-ons arrival from Sporting CP.
While Vini Jr would be an asset, Andrea Berta would be wise to ensure that the club can also afford a new No. 9 in the coming months, should Arsenal have any hopes of scoring more goals from open play.
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Jake Stokes
Arsenal should do whatever it takes to sign Vinicius Jr from Real Madrid this summer. If the Gunners could welcome the 26-year-old winger to the Emirates Stadium, it would arguably be one of the biggest incoming superstar transfers in Premier League history.
Vinicius Jr would significantly bolster the frontline and reaffirm Mikel Arteta's side as the favourites for the title, let alone the Champions League. Although the Brazil international would command an eye-watering wage, Andrea Berta just needs to bite the bullet.
Not many players in world football deserve to earn more money than Vinicius Jr anyway, so making him the biggest earner shouldn't really ruffle any feathers in the Arsenal dressing room. Of course, the big names already at the club could ask for a pay rise following the Brazilian's arrival, but they would be in no position to throw their toys out of the pram!
Put it this way: the big names at Arsenal are already among the highest-paid players in the Premier League, playing for one of the strongest clubs in Europe, which, theoretically speaking, has just signed one of the best players in the world. If the Gunners were to sign Vinicius Jr, the squad would need to recognise and appreciate the club's ambition. What a signing it would be...
Matt Maltby
It would be some statement signing from Arsenal, having lost out to Chelsea in the race to sign Morgan Rogers.
The Gunners pulled out of that deal because of Aston Villa's eye-watering £117million valuation, but they shouldn't think twice about splashing the cash on Real Madrid's Brazilian superstar.
If Spanish reports are to believed, the European heavyweights have slapped a £137m price tag on Vinicius Jr. That might seem an awful lot of money for a player whose contract expires next summer.
But he's a global superstar and you could argue would be the biggest box-office arrival to sign in the Premier League since Erling Haaland joined Manchester City four years ago.
It's not just his reputation - he does play for Real Madrid and Brazil after all - but he's a throwback talent that leaves fans on the edge of their seats.
That is what Arsenal need. They need excitement. They need more attacking threat. They should do everything in their power to get this deal over the line.
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Kieran Horn
Despite the need for a blockbuster left winger signing, Arsenal’s genuine interest in Vinicius Jr caught me by surprise and yet it does make perfect sense.
This is a signing that would take Mikel Arteta’s side to the next level but could also be somewhat cost-effective as the Brazilian has just 12 months remaining on his contract.
Given his ability and what he has achieved, it will still be a very costly deal but one that the Gunners need to strike while other top clubs are in transition.
The £105million signing of Declan Rice was a big statement and that paid off. Adding Vini Jr to that would be seismic and place Arsenal in a position to dominate Europe for the next few years.
And for that reason, this is a deal they have to get done, regardless of the cost.
Connor O'Neill
Would Vinicius Junior be a good signing for Arsenal? Yes. Should they break the bank for him? Absolutely not.
It is easy to understand why so many Gunners supporters got excited when the news dropped on Saturday evening.
The Brazil international is an outstanding talent. He’d improve Mikel Arteta’s squad and is the sort of signing that would make Arsenal’s rivals sit up and take notice.
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But talk of the Gunners offering Vinicius more than £400,000 is just madness. Yes, the Gunners need to keep improving their squad, but they need to do it in a sensible way.
Throwing money at players is not the answer. Arsenal didn’t become Premier League champions by doing that and they shouldn't change their approach now.
We would all love to see Vinicius in the Premier League this season, but Arsenal need to think long and hard about what sort of offer they should be making the 26-year-old.