Arsenal will be waiting for Real Madrid and Vinicius Junior to discuss their future together before deciding their next step
11:36, 27 Jul 2026
Vinicius Junior to Arsenal is the stuff dreams are made of for supporters - and yet it could indeed become a reality. football.london discussed this month whether the Brazilian could be a potential alternative marquee signing after missing out on Morgan Rogers following his £117million to Chelsea.
At the time, there were only whispers, which grew over the course of the week until over the weekend it emerged that Arsenal are exploring a potential move for the 26-year-old. football.london, after speaking to sources involved in the potential move, confirmed the Gunners are indeed keen and see a potential market opportunity.
The club are willing to go all in to secure what would, for many, go down as the biggest transfer in Premier League history. Financially, it would, despite the single year remaining on Vini Jr’s deal, be a monumental commitment.
Vini Jr’s wage demands are believed to be around £500,000 per week, with Arsenal’s top earner, Bukayo Saka, inclusive of bonuses, currently on more than £300,000 per week. Such a deal would expand the wage structure considerably and furthermore impact future talks with other high-profile stars such as Declan Rice, with whom the club remain in discussions over an extension.
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Arsenal have lacked a elite level left winger since the exit of Alexis Sanchez in 2018. Since the Chilean’s exit, many different options have been tried, such as Alex Iwobi, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe, Leandro Trossard and Eberechi Eze.
Trossard, Martinelli and Eze were all tried last season, and even Noni Madueke was given some minutes from the left. However, despite becoming Premier League champions, it is broadly agreed that the left wing needed upgrading, hence both the interest in Morgan Rogers and the replacement of Trossard with Christos Tzolis.
That said, the idea of Vini Jr arriving blows any semblance of what was believed possible at the start of the window out of the water. For the last five seasons, Vini Jr has contributed more than 20 goals each campaign for Real Madrid across all competitions.
Alexis Sanchez achieved that just twice in his four seasons in North London. Robert Pires, by comparison, never achieved twenty-plus in a single campaign, although it is worth pointing out he was more of a left midfielder than a left winger.
Saka reached 20 goals once in 2023/24, but has seen injuries affect his ability to consistently perform. Furthermore, creatively, Vini Jr has 100 assists in 375 games for Los Blancos, adding to his 125 goals – effectively adding a goal or an assist at a faster rate than one in two; while it is worth bearing in mind he began making appearances as an 18-year-old.
Just the thought of having Vini Jr on one side and Saka on the other is something quite special. For me, Kai Havertz in the middle makes so much sense, having a centre-forward who likes to drop, link play and set his wide men away would be perfect.
Otherwise, Viktor Gyokeres might instead be an option to feed off the creativity both wingers give. Alternatively, Arsenal’s continued interest in Julian Alvarez makes for the ultimate dream front three, but the likelihood of a summer signing both Vini Jr and Alvarez could be pushing the dream a bit far.
Could this deal really happen? Yes, but it will not be down to Arsenal whether it does.
There is a clear willingness financially from Arsenal’s side to make this happen. However, it will be on whether Vini Jr is open to leaving Real Madrid and how stubborn the gap is between both Los Blancos and the winger on the contract discussions.
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Arsenal need to hope that no agreement is found, and then they can beat any other potential suitors to the punch. They’re in a very strong position to do so, this week will be important for all parties.