Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta
Summer windows look different once the people who ran them start talking. An agent lists the clubs that called. An assistant coach admits a name was discussed in the building.
Neither story changes the squad that exists now. Both explain why the left side still feels unfinished.
A record sale and a deal that never happened can sit in the same week of recaps.
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Football Transfers’ Friday round-up puts two Arsenal items at the centre. Gabriel Martinelli’s agent has said Premier League clubs offered for him before he joined Al-Hilal. Miguel Molina, one of Mikel Arteta’s assistants, has confirmed Vinicius Junior was discussed as a target.
Marcos Casseb told Itatiaia Esporte that the time was right to leave after seven years.
“We felt it was time for him to move on, and the club had also seen it that way. It was a very good departure for him and for Arsenal.”
On other suitors: “Did he get offers? He did, yeah. We had offers from Italian clubs, we had offers from German clubs and we had offers from other Premier League clubs but it was a moment when I think he needed and he also wanted to clear his head a bit, to change scenery.”
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The move to Al-Hilal was a club-record sale, reported at around £60million. Galatasaray were also interested. Martinelli told Arsenal he did not want Turkey.
Molina, speaking on Radio Marca’s La Tribu, was asked whether the coaching staff had discussed Vinicius.
“Yes, of course. Obviously, I can’t stray from the facts, but he was a name that was on the table, yes.”
Vinicius stayed and signed at Real Madrid until 2032. Cadena SER had already reported that Madrid teammates thought an Arsenal move was close. Molina is the first person from Arteta’s staff to put the name on the record.
Arsenal signed Christos Tzolis and let Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus leave. Eberechi Eze has been used on the left. The superstar wide forward did not arrive.
What the two Arsenal clips share is the left wing. One player left for Saudi Arabia after turning down staying in England. The other was “on the table” and then signed a new deal in Madrid. January lists will start from that gap, not from the quotes.
Ceadach O’Neill
Ceadach O’Neill
Viktor Gyokeres
Viktor Gyokeres