Vinicius Junior sent a personal message to Arsenal before signing his new contract with Real Madrid during the transfer drama.
Vinicius Junior’s team got in touch with Arsenal personally before deciding not to join the Premier League club. This would have been the biggest transfer of the summer, as the Real Madrid star was strongly linked with a move to Arsenal.
There were talks about Vinicius leaving Madrid, especially since renewing his contract hit a snag over a bonus that Real Madrid worried could upset other players. But in the end, a deal was made, and Real Madrid announced they’d extended his contract until June 2032.
Even though Arsenal then signed Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle, missing out on Vinicius left the club without a standout forward this summer. What’s tough for Arsenal fans is that, according to The Athletic, Vinicius was genuinely interested in joining and all that was left was final approval from his team after Arsenal’s top officials said yes.
Instead, on Wednesday, Vinicius’ team sent a message thanking Arsenal for how they handled things but confirmed he’d stay with Real Madrid. They said Vinicius’ love for Madrid and the big financial offer they made convinced him to stay.
It’s understandable that Arsenal were disappointed, especially after months of hard work and talks behind the scenes. But they also felt proud that they were even in the running, which shows how much the club has grown.
Since Vinicius’ decision, reports say Arsenal are moving fast to sign another top forward: Paris Saint-Germain’s Barcola. He’s been linked with Liverpool, but Arsenal believe they have a chance to bring him to London instead.
Former Arsenal player Perry Groves said on talkSPORT that Barcola wants to live in London, which could help Arsenal in their pursuit.
If Barcola joins, it would be a big setback for Liverpool, who need new forwards after Mohamed Salah left last season.