There was a huge claim over the weekend that Arsenal are showing interest in Vini Jr, and Manchester City cannot stand by and let the Gunners land the Brazilian.
David Ornstein took to X and wrote: “Arsenal exploring move to sign Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid. #AFC interest early stage + clubs not yet in talks but idea approved at all levels.
“Much rests on contract process as no breakthrough yet & #RMFC do not want free exit.”
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The winger has been with Real Madrid since 2018 after signing from Flamengo, and has become one of the best in the world in his position.
But there’s been speculation about his future for months, and it seems he could genuinely be on the move in this window.
Arsenal have thrown their hat into the ring, and now Manchester City must follow suit.
Manchester City must beat Arsenal to Vinicius Jr
Arsenal have just won the Premier League title.
They are a great side with a manager who has come a very long way since he left the Etihad Stadium.
And they are very obviously not satisfied with just one Premier League title – they want to retain it.
And Arsenal signing Vinicius Jr this summer would improve their chances of doing that significantly.
Vinicius Jr has scored 128 goals and made 100 assists in 375 appearances for Real Madrid so far, which is a remarkable return.
Frankly, just his number of appearances is impressive. 375 appearances since 2018 is an average of 46.8 games per season.
For a winger who is all about explosiveness, that is an excellent return and shows he takes care of himself and is durable. He does not get a lot of injuries that put him out for weeks or months at a time.
| Vinicius Jr for Real Madrid (2018-present) |
| Appearances – 375 |
| Goals – 128 |
| Assists – 100 |
| Trophies – 14 |
With Real, he’s won three league titles, two Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups, two Club World Cups, one Copa del Rey and Three Supercopas de Espana. He has been front and centre of all those triumphs.
We are talking about a superstar, plain and simple.
Few in the game can hold a candle to Vini Jr in terms of dribbling, and his pace and agility make him incredibly difficult to stop.
And City would know – Vini Jr has faced the club 12 times so far in his career, and scored four goals and laid on six assists for teammates. Most recently, he scored both goals for Real in their 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium in March.
City can’t allow Arsenal to sign this player. If that happens, there is a very strong chance that they retain the Premier League title.
But if City get him, that might just make City favourites.
He’ll be expensive even with just a year left on his deal. But Savinho will fetch a good price, and there’s also been talk of people like Rico Lewis, Mateo Kovacic and James Trafford leaving, so funds can be raised.
Erling Haaland would welcome Vinicius Jr with open arms
One man who would especially love City to sign Vinicius Jr is Erling Haaland.
The striker recently reacted to a hilarious video that featured both of them superimposed into a scene from the movie White Chicks. He tagged Vini Jr, stating the pair should ‘recreate’ the moment.
Then at the World Cup, after Norway had beaten Brazil in the last 16, Vini Jr was seen briefly interrupting an interview that Haaland was giving and embracing the striker.
There’s clearly already a lot of respect there, so City have to try and get involved.
