Vinicius to join Arsenal over Man Utd in Real Madrid star’s Premier League transfer ranking
Vinicius Junior has informed Real Madrid president Florentino Perez that he is not willing to extend his contract with Real Madrid beyond 2027 due to his strained relationship with manager Xabi Alonso.
After shaking his head in disgust and muttering “always me, I’m leaving the team” after being substituted in the 72nd minute of the Clasico last month, his exit could actually come sooner than that, with Athletics developer that tensions between Vinicius and Alonso “have only grown” as the season has progressed – “it is a subject of daily debate inside and outside the club”.
The question Vinicius and his representatives must now ask themselves is which clubs across world football could offer the £150 million likely needed to sign him, at least match his £350,000-a-week wages and be comfortable with the reality that he must be their club’s man lest he throw a fit if he is not.
The smart money would be on the mad money coming from Saudi Arabia, but what about his options in the Premier League? We ranked the Big Six by their chances of signing him.
6)Tottenham
Oh, to be a fly on the dressing room wall as Thomas Frank explains to Vinicius the importance of timing his runs to get to the end of the long balls that Richarlison never wins.
“Can’t we play through the lines, gaffer? » Vinicius said, to suppressed laughter from the Spurs masses.
“No, but look at our stadium,” Frank replies.
READ MORE: 16 Conclusions on Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham: Eze, Rice, Frank and the Premier League title
5) Chelsea
A Brazilian trio at Stamford Bridge would be fun, but spending big on ready-made stars is not part of a Chelsea plan based largely on resale value and the main difference between Vinicius, Joao Pedro and Estevao is the Blues pair’s exceptional work, both on and off the ball.
There is also a very good and very amusing possibility that the Blues hierarchy considers Vinicius a little too old for them. At 25 years old, he would be the fifth oldest player on the team.
It would be worth seeing Vinicius’ reaction to his teammate and compatriot. Estevao wins the Ballon d’Or ahead of him.
MAILBOX: Estevao touted as new Neymar as Maresca hailed for keeping him on a leash
4) Manchester City
“Vinicius is…wow,” was a clip from Pep Guardiola’s press conference which, predictably, was cited as evidence of the Manchester City manager’s interest in signing the Brazilian by some media outlets.
But he was halfway through an answer about the excellence of Jeremy Doku and Liverpool’s “incredible” right-back Conor Bradley. endured a nightmare against him in City’s recent 3-0 win over the Reds having coped very comfortably with the problems posed by Vinicius for a few days.
Guardiola said at that same press conference that Doku “will never be one of the top scorers” and that City could really do with some goals from their attackers beyond the Erling Haaland contribution that Vinicius would provide. This might happen under Guardiola, but it seems to us to be a much more post-Pep panic move from a public football club looking to sell jerseys as it suffers a downfall from its former boss.
3) Liverpool
It would be very New Liverpool for Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards to look at their alarming problems in defence, their astonishing decline in midfield dynamism and the general lack of cohesion in a team following the £420 million signing of top talent and consider the best solution to recruit a high-profile, high-maintenance winger to play on the left rather than someone to play on the other side to replace their demanding, high-maintenance in situ winger.
2) Manchester United
Any teenager would find it crazy that Vinicius Junior would even consider a move to Manchester United. Most of them won’t remember the last time they won the Premier League title in 2012 and will rely on their parents, grandparents or millennial friends and family members’ tales of their infuriating greatness in order to understand why members of an Amazonian tribe still wear Nike AIG Cristiano Ronaldo No.7 jerseys.
Vinicius had just turned eight when Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez led the line for United in the 2008 Champions League final victory over Chelsea. They weren’t just one of the biggest teams in world football at the time, they were actually one of the best. Chances are they were somewhere at the top of Vini Jr’s list of dream football clubs.
Amid reports that a sponsor will ‘cover the cost’ of his move to Manchester United, the immediate thought is that INEOS is doing things a little differently to their predecessors. No huge contracts for quick fix superstars. Don’t buy British products, but at least buy British products; achieving some success with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
But we must never overlook Manchester United’s persistent need to occasionally prove to the world that they are indeed Manchester United and can still attract the biggest names in football, even if they are in no way what they need and are in fact very likely to undo the advantage. slight and obviously fragile improvements they did under Ruben Amorim.
1)Arsenal
It doesn’t reflect well on Vinicius that a team as impeccably well-coached and brilliant as Arsenal should be able to cope with his presence in the team. Although the quality he would provide in attack might not be enough to compensate for his lack of contribution in defense for other Premier League players, Mikel Arteta’s side could well be at a stage in their ‘process’ where they can afford a defensive passenger who can make such a difference in the final third. They are ready to “break the bank” as “favorites” to sign him.
Riccardo Calafiori has looked very comfortable on the left side of Arsenal’s defense and Declan Rice can still move around and defend when necessary as the master of the versatile midfield.
Leandro Trossard got his dues in the form of people not giving him their dues saying others didn’t give him their dues after his excellent performance against Tottenham, but let’s be absolutely clear, Arsenal are still looking for a new left winger.
And with eyes on the Champions League, either at the top of the Premier League in 2026 or after in 2027, it would help to have a guy who has won it twice and scored in both of those finals.