Real Madrid’s dressing room had assumed Vinícius Júnior was on his way to Arsenal, after the Premier League winners made concrete advances to secure his services in the summer.
At that time, the Brazil international was in his final year of contract and the renewal talks with the La Liga side hadn’t progressed for several months.
Arsenal sensed an opportunity and launched an attempt to sign the forward. He snubbed the north London club and on August 6th, Vinícius signed a new contract at Real Madrid until 2032.
The 26-year-old returned to the club after an extended break because of his participation at the World Cup. Upon his return, he held talks with José Mourinho, who had reportedly pushed for his renewal.
Arsenal were closer than people realise
Journalist Antón Meana now shares insights on the Emirates club’s failure to sign him for Cadena Ser‘s El Larguero.
He states Mikel Arteta’s side came ‘very close’ to bringing Vinícius Júnior to England.
In the summer, José Mourinho returned to Real Madrid to start his second spell and has lost two of the seven league matches. Meana talks about Arsenal’s failure to sign Vinícius when covering Los Blancos’ start under Mourinho.
The South American’s performance in the 2-1 derby defeat to Atlético Madrid is worrying.
Cadena Ser states: ‘Zero goals, zero assists, zero shots on target, zero scoring opportunities, zero ball recoveries, one completed dribble, and seven lost possessions. A performance that earned him criticism from his own fans. The same ones who have already booed him more than once this season at the Santiago Bernabéu.’
He says the attacker was closer to joining Mikel Arteta’s side. In fact, his teammates took it for granted the Brazilian will end up at the Emirates, but that didn’t happen.
| Every Arsenal signing 26/27 | Nationality | Previous Club | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruno Guimarães | Brazil | Newcastle United | £75m |
| Ezri Konsa | England | Aston Villa | £51m |
| Christos Tzolis | Grecce | Club Brugge | £34m |
| Illan Meslier | France | Leeds United | Free |
| Piero Hincapié | Colombia | Bayer Leverkusen | £34.5m |
Arsenal were ready to spend big
Last month, Sport Witness relayed news Arsenal were ready to make Vinícius Júnior the highest paid Premier League player. Cadena Ser now backs it up.
The outlet states: ‘The Gunners’ move was strategic. It was a signing with global impact, not only for the London club, but also for the Premier League as a whole.’
‘The English league would promote Vinicius as one of its biggest stars to the entire world. The rivalry with Erling Haaland would dominate the corporate image of what many consider the best league in the world.’
The attacker stayed at Real Madrid and hasn’t enjoyed a good start. He has a goal and three assists from eight matches and hasn’t scored in the last six matches.
Arsenal may return for him if Los Blancos make him available in the market if his form doesn’t improve soon.
🇪🇸 Monchi says Unai Emery wanted him at PSG, Arsenal and Aston Villa
➡️ Got to #AFC contract exchange but chose Sevillahttps://t.co/7uv43WOAFK #avfc
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) September 22, 2026
