Arteta reportedly wants Arsenal to send scouts for Vinicius Junior talks
Arsenal are reportedly being urged by Mikel Arteta to send club representatives to open talks with Vinicius Junior's camp over a potential move away from Real Madrid, according to a report covered by Football365.
The report claims Arteta wants the club to explore the Brazilian winger's situation and gauge whether he would be open to leaving the Santiago Bernabeu, describing it as an initial approach rather than the start of formal negotiations with Real Madrid.
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Arsenal were strongly linked with Vinicius Junior over the summer after missing out on Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers, who joined Chelsea in a deal worth £117m, with the north London side instead opting not to compete for his signature. Arsenal eventually brought in Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge as a replacement for Leandro Trossard, who departed for Besiktas.
Agent confirms Arsenal's interest
Vinicius Junior's agent, Michael Yormark, who is president of Roc Nation Sports International, has confirmed that Arsenal's interest this past summer was genuine and serious.
“You saw the news; Arsenal was very involved. They were very aggressive,” Yormark told SportsBoom.
“But Vini's heart is in Madrid, that's where he's always wanted to be, and that's where he is, and that's where he hopes to be for the rest of his career. I don't think there was ever a question. Did he ever seriously consider Arsenal? I mean of course. When a team like Arsenal rolls out the red carpet for you and makes you feel really wanted, then obviously you have to listen. But he's where he wants to be and we're happy, he's there.”
Yormark added that Vinicius Junior, who began his professional career at Real Madrid aged 18 and is now 26, hopes to spend his entire career at the Spanish giants. Roc Nation director Grant Veitch echoed that sentiment, pointing to the winger's comfort level and ambitions to keep winning trophies in Madrid as the key reasons he stayed put.
Yan Diomande's impact reignites talk
Vinicius Junior was substituted for Yan Diomande on 70 minutes during Real Madrid's 4-1 win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday. Diomande responded with a goal and an assist, and reports in Spain claim that performance has once again fuelled speculation over a possible Vinicius Junior move to Arsenal.
According to the report, Arsenal would need to establish what the player is looking for and whether he genuinely intends to leave Real Madrid before any discussion of fees or terms could begin. From a footballing standpoint, the report suggests Vinicius Junior would add pace and directness to Arsenal's attack, though his arrival would raise questions over exactly how he would fit into Arteta's forward line.
For now, the comments from his representatives suggest any move remains unlikely in the near term, even if Arsenal's interest has not gone away.
