Arsenal have been contacted about signing the “fantastic” forward, whose deal fell through in this season’s Champions League.
Gunners eye new forward after FA Cup defeat
Manager Mikel Arteta would have been hoping for a fightback after his side had four chances stopped by Manchester City before the international break, but Southampton cruised to a shock 2-1 victory over St Mary’s in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.
But the two biggest prizes are still up for grabs, with Arteta calling on the Gunners to step up ahead of some all-important Premier League and Champions League games.
The Spaniard said: “We have the most important period ahead of us in both competitions and we are at a difficult time in the season to show what we are made of. And now we have to show who we are.”
“Obviously we’re very disappointed. We wanted to get back to Wembley as soon as possible but we weren’t able to do that. So first of all, congratulations on getting back to Wembley.”
Although he did not feature in the game against Saints, Bukayo Saka has been called into question following his recent performances, with the north London outfit setting their sights on a new forward ahead of the summer transfer window.
TEAMtalk reports that intermediaries are in contact with Arsenal regarding the contract of Vinicius Junior, who is set to leave Real Madrid when his contract expires in the summer of 2027.
Negotiations over a new contract have made little progress, with Vinicius’ camp making offers to several top clubs in the Premier League and Europe.
The Brazilian is not actively pushing for a move at the moment, but if he does decide to do so, the left-winger could outshine Gabriel Martinelli, who has scored 17 league goals this season compared to just four for his compatriot.
Journalist Tom Allnutt was full of praise for the 25-year-old, who shares Martinelli’s agent, and praised him to X during the 2024-25 season, shortly before he finished second to Manchester City star Rodri in the 2024 Ballon d’Or.
Vinicius, who earns £350,000-a-week, is a back-to-back winner having won three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues, and given what has happened in the domestic cup competitions, could be a great signing for Arsenal, who need a player more comfortable with crossing the line.
Berta travels to ‘world-class’ city targeted by Arsenal, ‘delighted’ to join
The Gunners are prepared to spend big this summer.
