Arsenal ended their 22-year Premier League title drought last term, leaving behind painful memories of near miss after near miss across the last three seasons to finally reach the promised land at long last. But if the rumour mill is to be believed, manager Mikel Arteta is certainly not resting on his laurels.
Online betting sites already made the Gunners the favourites to defend their title next season. The popular Lucky Rebel Sportsbook currently positions the defending champions as an 8/5 frontrunner to reign supreme once again. Both Piero Hincapié and Greek winger Christos Tzolis have already been added to reinforce the ranks at the Emirates this summer, and further marquee names could be just around the corner.
Arsenal do have a couple of gaps in their squad that Arteta has made it abundantly clear he’s looking to address. One of those is on the left wing, a position of weakness for the Gunners last term, only made weaker by the departure of Leandro Trossard. So, which names are currently being linked with plugging the gap? Here are the blockbusters that could well come to fruition in North London this summer.
Vinicius Junior
We may as well start with the big one. The respected David Ornstein has reported in recent days that Arsenal are currently “exploring” the possibility of signing Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior in what would be arguably the club’s biggest and best signing in recent memory. The Brazilian winger is without question one of the planet’s very best, and he would catapult this Gunners team into another stratosphere as they look to compete for both the Champions League and the Premier League in 2026/27.
And truth be told, a deal is indeed viable. Vini is out of contract at the Bernabeu at the end of the season, and Los Blancos are thought to be open to selling their talismanic winger rather than running the risk of losing him for free in 11 months’ time. No new contract has been agreed between Real and the former Flamengo youngster, and the door is certainly open to a shock exit from the Spanish capital.
So, could it happen? Well, the simple answer is yes. Arsenal have proven in recent years with the signings of Declan Rice and Viktor Gyokeres that money is certainly there to be spent. But a player of Vinicius’ quality won’t come cheap. Real President Florentino Perez has set the asking price at a whopping €160m, while the player himself would be looking at a base salary of a mighty €500k per week. Still, there is no smoke without fire, and the Gunners hierarchy wouldn’t be exploring the possibility of a deal if they knew that it wasn’t possible.
Julian Alvarez
Another player that the Gunners have been linked with for some time now is Atletico Madrid hitman Julian Alvarez. The former Manchester City man has emerged as a genuine superstar since heading to the Spanish capital two years ago, netting 49 goals in 106 games for Los Rojiblancos, including ten in 15 Champions League games last season en route to the semifinals.
The Argentinian has made it clear that he wants to leave the Metropolitano this summer, with Barcelona his preferred destination. However, Atleti have stated that they are unwilling to negotiate with the Catalonians due to the rivalry that exists between the two clubs.
That has opened the door for Arsenal, who are genuine contenders to land Alvarez’s signature should he still wish to leave his current club for a team other than Barcelona. But he too will come at a price. Atleti have made it clear that they won’t entertain offers less than €150m; however, the Gunners do have something that Diego Simeone wants: Viktor Gyokeres. The Swedish hitman is a striker in the typical Simeone mould, and any potential deal between the two clubs could include him, reducing any fee that Arsenal would be paying to seal the deal.
Bradley Barcola
Another name being touted as a potential option on the Arsenal left wing is that of Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola. The Frenchman recently starred at the World Cup in North America, forming a lethal strike force alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, and Ousmane Dembele. The door had looked open for the 23-year-old’s departure from the Parc Des Princes as the Parisians looked to seal a deal for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, but the Ivorian has opted to join Real Madrid instead of Luis Enrique’s side, and it remains to be seen whether Barcola is still available to leave the French capital this summer.
Much like both Vini and Alvarez, a fee of upwards of €150m will likely be required to secure the French international’s services. And not only that, but fellow Premier League outfit Liverpool are also thought to be on the hunt. This one seems like the most unlikely option right now, but it is certainly an option nonetheless.
