England-World-Cup-Bukayo-Saka
Arsenal supporters were trying to get their hopes up too much but when Vinicius Junior is being linked to your club, it's impossible not to get a little bit giddy.
The Gunners may well have won the Premier League but they are rarely in the conversation to sign the best players in the world. Vini Jr is certainly in that category.
Ultimately, it was not much of a surprise to see him extend his contract with Real Madrid after an 18-month saga that saw him threaten to leave the Spanish capital behind.
Vinicius-Junior-Madrid
As a result, Arsenal will have to go back to the drawing board in their bid to find their answer to Bukayo Saka on the left-hand side of the attack.
For so long, the Englishman has carried the forward line on the right but he needs more help, particularly if he is to get back to his best after a World Cup in which he struggled for regular minutes.
Why Bukayo Saka has struggled at Arsenal in the last year
Arsenal's number seven has been the poster boy of the Mikel Arteta era but in recent seasons, the wide player has not been at his best.
It perhaps makes the club's Premier League title triumph all the more incredible. They have not necessarily over relied on Saka throughout the years but he has certainly been their main source of goals and creativity.
Arsenal-Premier-League-Bukayo-Saka
In 2023/24, he netted as many as 20 times and also supplied 14 assists for his teammates. Yet, as the numbers showcase, he has struggled in the last two years.
Why? Well, midway through 2024/25 he tore his hamstring and while he did return for the run in, he ultimately struggled to rediscover his form.
||
Saka season by season stats
Season
2020/21
2021/22
2022/23
2023/24
2024/25
2025/26
2025/26 was a similar affair. There was no long-term injury for the Hale Ender but his minutes were managed carefully, meaning he posted the worst numbers of his career for five years.
What went wrong? Since that hamstring problem, Saka has lost some of his explosiveness. The decision making is still elite, he's still one of the best wingers in European football. However, his pace and acceleration hasn't quite been there of late.
The 24-year-old scored a hat-trick at the World Cup for Thomas Tuchel's side but he was in and out of the team as the Three Lions managed an Achilles tendon problem.
That has been hampering him now since March and it remains to be seen just how long it will take Saka to get back up to speed as we fast approach the 2026/27 season.
As a result, they need to get their hands on another one or two forward players.
How Arsenal can improve their left flank
In Saka, Noni Madueke and Max Dowman, Arsenal seem well set on the right. On the left, they have Gabriel Martinelli and new signing Christos Tzolis but an upgrade is required.
Reuters/Matthew Childs
It's why they wanted to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa and why they wanted Vinicius Junior.
Alas, they will need to weigh up alternatives. In the grand scheme of things, options like Iliman Ndiaye at Everton and Rafael Leao at AC Milan hardly set the world alight in comparison.
The trouble is that no one comes close to Vini and whoever they get, providing they do add to their forward line, will be able to top the dopamine that would have come with signing the great Brazilian.
Ndiaye and Leao pale in comparison, as does Chelsea's Pedro Neto. Yes, the Gunners could really sign another player from their west London neighbours, just a year on from landing Madueke.
Chelsea's Pedro Neto celebrates after the match
Neto has been of interest to Arsenal for a number of years now, dating back to 2022 when he was still at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Back then, he was quietly becoming one of the best young wingers in the Premier League. Now, in 2026, he's on their radar again. Chelsea insider Simon Phillips reported the following this week:
"I have heard from a source over the weekend that Arsenal are also interested in Neto. I don’t believe it’s anything they are prioritising, but they are definitely a club who are showing interest in Neto as well, and Neto is appealed by all of this interest coming in."
Neto may well be appealed by the idea of making the switch to the Premier League champions but it is sure to be a deal that causes a stir, even if Jose Mourinho did hail the 26-year-old as "one of the best wingers in the world" last season.
At Stamford Bridge, it hasn't really happened for Neto. He's inconsistent and sometimes lacks in end product. However, 2025/26 was the best season of his career for goal involvements, scoring ten times and assisting a further ten.
It wasn't long ago either that Neto was a player who many of the top clubs in England wanted to get their hands on when he was still plying his trade at Wolves.
In the first two months of the 2023/24 season, he had created more chances than Saka, Mohamed Salah and Phil Foden. Only Bruno Fernandes, Kieran Trippier and James Maddison had managed more.
The fact is, that like Saka, he's a particularly creative wide player. He's also a menace when he cuts inside onto his left foot. Arsenal witnessed that first hand back in November 2024. Neto's first Premier League goal for Chelsea actually came in that match against the Gunners.
He's also a mighty fine carrier of the ball. The former Wolves man registered 127 progressive carries in the Premier League last term, ranking 16th in the league for that metric. Saka was also impressive in that regard, ranking 26th in the top-flight. When it came to initiating what is described as a 'dangerous attack', both wide men ranked among the Premier League's finest 18 players.
REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
Plenty will be against the idea of signing Neto. They are right to be. Going from Vini Jr to another Chelsea player would be criminal. Yet, he does have qualities that bear similarities to Saka and he could offer a great deal to this Arsenal side.
Bruno-Guimaraes-Arsenal