At least within the Just Arsenal family, not all Gooners are excited by the idea of Vinicius Jr. possibly becoming a Gunner.
It is odd, as many readers felt Arsenal were not exciting to watch at times last season.
The hope was that once our manager ended our title drought, he would start addressing our attack.
So it seems a slight contradiction that a portion of the same fanbase would now be critical of the champions being linked with one of the best left wingers in the world.
Now, I have my own theories on why this could be, but it’s only fair that I accurately reflect the mood of some of my peers.
Are concerns over Vinicius Jr justified?
The main reservation about Vinicius Jr. moving to the Emirates is that his ego could disrupt the dressing room.
Many highlight that, over the last 12 months, the Brazilian has been the least popular he has ever been at the Bernabeu. There are accusations that he made Xabi Alonso’s job very difficult in the Spanish capital, while some believe his relationship with Kylian Mbappe contributed to the club ending the campaign without silverware.
That seems unfair when you consider the attacker contributed 22 goals and 11 assists last season.
In fact, if you look at his statistics since moving to Europe, he has been directly involved in 30 goals or more in each of the last five seasons.
It’s only fair that his entire body of work is analysed rather than judging him on one season.
Since the age of 19, his CV includes 14 trophies, including two Champions League titles, and he scored in both finals.
So, if he has alienated himself from teammates, it has never been toxic enough to stop the teams he has played for from being successful.
Arsenal’s dressing room should embrace elite competition
Mikel Arteta has built a squad that has long followed non-negotiable principles, working for a manager who won’t tolerate anyone failing to meet his standards. Do you risk destroying that by bringing in a superstar?
I actually think that suggestion is disrespectful to a group of professional athletes.
These are young men who grew up dreaming of getting paid to play the sport they love. Not only have they surpassed that ambition, they now compete for the biggest trophies in football.
Naturally, shouldn’t they want to give themselves the best possible chance of success?
Surely the more world-class teammates you have, the greater your chances of winning?
I’d be amazed if Declan Rice wouldn’t want to train alongside one of the very best.
I would be shocked if Bukayo Saka wouldn’t be excited by one of the world’s finest players helping the club he has supported since childhood.
The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Roy Keane have explained they didn’t socialise with many teammates outside of work.
They were respectful professionals, but they didn’t necessarily see their colleagues as friends.
Of course, you’d rather a team got along, but ultimately a squad isn’t built on a popularity contest.
No one wears that red and white shirt purely out of love. It’s their job, and they are paid handsomely to do it.
Part of that job is training and playing alongside whoever your manager tells you to.
If you’re bothered by someone else’s salary (the likes of Kai Havertz would have some nerve to) or their commercial deals, then work harder.
If a dressing room feels threatened by competition, then drive them to the nearest airport.
Dan Smith
What do you think, Gooners? Would Vinicius Jr. elevate Arsenal to another level, or do you share the concerns about how he might affect the dressing room? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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He may have got a little too big for his boots at RM but I don’t get the impression he was toxic, maybe just internally frustrated at where the club was at. A new challenge could be great for him and his new club, where he has to accept he’s now the new guy and has to acclimatise to conditions set by another. The Brazilians would help him settle just enough without him getting too confident too soon still being a stranger to most others.
Let’s not forget he’s a genuine top-tier player, constant Balon D’Or contender, unplayable on his day, and still hugely effective on his poorer days. If we make him feel welcome and loved, and show him he mostly needs to abide by the Arsenal way, he could well be the key that fully unlocks the squad and acts as the last piece in search of back-to-back PLs and hopefully, that sorely missing CL…!
There’s no doubt that he is one of the best LWs in the world and probably the best, better than Kvaratskhelia, Diomande, Diaz and Doku
However, he got all his major trophies more than two years ago, when his injury history wasn’t as long as it is now. This is why I’d prefer a younger LW with much fewer battle wounds
He would also likely get to keep 80% of his image rights at Arsenal as Mbappe has at Real Madrid, which could make his new teammates demand similar privileges in their contract extension
Kroenke, as a business magnate, needs a new poster boy to sell more merchandise/ tickets this season and Vinicius Jr is more suited to that purpose than the abovementioned world class LWs. This is why I believe Arsenal will put in extra effort to sign him this summer
He won his big trophies before Madrid bought Mbappe, and their front line became unbalanced. Mbappe is always in his area now. This has been a major factor in RM’s failures in the CL the last few years. His injury record is not so bad that it’s overly concerning in my view (and I am usually pretty concerned about that too, we’ve all suffered at Arsenal haha).
On the image rights, at Arsenal he would have 100% of his image rights, Premier League players legally receive that. Clubs contractually requiring 50% image rights is a La Liga thing. So it would increase his income dramatically if he signed for us.
Yes. Mbappe loves to cut inside from the left wing where Vinicius Jr operates, which makes Real Madrid play without a good front-line pivot in most of their games
If what you said about EPL players fully entitled to their image rights is true, I think Vinicius Jr’s arrival won’t make our main players jealous
You are Spot on. Imagine having Vinicius Junior on for Arsenal vs PSG in the Final of UEFA Champions League. The will be different, very different. And the outcome might be very different too.
I don’t think Vinicius Jr would change our final UCL result since Arteta used a negative football tactic in the game
A world class dribbler like him needs a much more attacking tactic to thrive
Much of football is a psychological game. With his pace and threat PSG would be forced to respond which would negatively impact their game.
Plus I think the signing of Bruno G will have a much bigger impact on the quality of our footballing ability
Vini Jr injury record? He played 53 games last season!!!
100% agree.
We’ve been after a truly elite left winger for years and there’s a very short list of players out there who indisputably level us up. Vini Jr is right up there at the top.
And that’s where his issue is. He was Madrid’s best player before Mbappe arrived. Plenty of Madrid fans will argue that he still is. They play essentially the same position, so the forward line is seriously unbalanced. This imbalance has contributed to their poorer showings in the Champion’s League and affected Vini’s raw numbers. He really doesn’t want to leave, and will most likely stay if they bring him an acceptable proposal, but there are some genuine sticking points there that aren’t going away.
Only a few cite his antics with race for their disapproval. I am pro Vini coming. If the transfer is on, one thing is certain to happen. Opponents will focus on him that opens multiple goal scoring avenues for Gyokeres and the opposite flank. My true worry is we deffo won’t get him this summer maybe when becomes a free agent next season
That won’t let him run down his contract, if he doesn’t sign new deal he’ll be sold!
Don’t want the guy anywhere near our club.
I agree.He is a World Class winger, but his financial demands would wreck our wages structure which has already been damaged by the recruitment of Havertz who is paid a ludicrous salary in my opinion.His accusations of racial abuse against a number of opponents is beyond belief which casts doubts on the veracity of his claims and his intentions and quite frankly, his performances in the World Cup did not convince me that he could stomach the grind of the Premier League where the physical demands are arduous and where wingers are obliged to carry out considerable defensive duties which does not seem to apply to V Jnr at Real Madrid.
how many opponents has he accused of racism ?
or do you mean fans as well ?
think some fans are hearing things and just reporting them wrongly
as for the World Cup he got 4 goals and an assist in 5 games
Of course, a galactic like Vini would throw us in a different world and will attract players of his calibre to Emirates ! Our football poetic style will come back !
If we can get a goal scorer of that level, our team will be just unstoppable.
Bruno or Rice alternately can play in the place of Ooedgard, with Skelly. Our team will be invincible with Buno, a new goalscorer and Vini !
Vini is among the best Lws in the world right now but l may be worried with the dressing room reactions at some point . Because the gooners ‘ dressing room has been calm and united no matter any situation.
He’s not exactly beating a path to our door as it appears that he’d rather be in Madrid, so a compromise looks on the cards.
I have no objection to Arsenal aiming high, and so they should, but it would be nice if an approach by Arsenal was well received rather than used as a bargaining tool by VJ and his representatives
I migth not be sold on Vini to AFc but I am sold on
the new look MA was sporting at Girona..
Nice look, he looks chic
No more of those quarter zip, he the king now
I see you made light of the ripple effects that his humongous wage demands could cause. Isn’t Mbappe’s big wages the exact reason why Vinicius is having a contract standoff with Madrid? Declan Rice’s agent will certainly point to it in the next contract talks and so would several other key players.
Make no mistake, I’ll be glad if we did get him in our squad cos he’s quite a talent. It’s just that I’m not too dismissive of the concerns others raise.
made light ?
well no it’s not an issue to me
if your paying Jesus and Kai Havertz approx 250-000 then yes a world clase player should get more
do you know how much Arsenal make off fans ?
can’t have it both ways
I don’t know exactly how much the club makes from fans but I also wouldn’t tell them to pay Mbappe the €1m weekly and €100m signing on bonus he received from PSG just to come play for us.
Jesus and Havertz’s wages were two very bad decisions which many fans (even on JA) have repeatedly called out. Couldn’t understand signing a flop from Chelsea and doubling his wages. Odegaard is also earning way more than he’s giving back for 3 years now.
I’m not saying you should
I’m defending the accusation of me making light of it
Arsenal don’t care how much I pay for a shirt or ticket
fans at the World Cup were paying thousands of pounds
so when you look how much Arsenal make …..no im not worried about their wage bill
and if someone on 300-000 pound a week doesn’t like someone on 400-000 pound s week then I would suggest the person on 300-000 can’t relate to the average person in the street
please don’t worry about Arsenal wage bill because trust me they don’t care about your bank balance
Can be a good signing, though sometimes he tends to be selfish for nothing.
Although I am also sure he will end up at RM, it isn’t set in stone.
I am all for us going after Vini. We want to level up don’t we? If we want to compete with the best, I think we will need to handle an ego or two in the camp.
Not happening, how many times do I have to say it.🤦♂️
Yeah, like magpies journos on Bruno G
As much as I would love it, I agree this transfer is/was never going to happen.
I am genuinely surprised how naive and giddy Arsenal fans are getting about this story, trying to find reasons why such an unlikely transfer could happen instead of looking rationally at the hurdles and the other more plausible motivations of each of the actors in all of this.
The problem is of course when we don’t sign him or sign someone else instead everyone who bought this nonsense is now going to feel disappointed.
how many though have actually said they think it will happen ?
Not sure but I’ve read quite a few pieces about it as an actual starter and on the podcasts everyone seems to be buying into it because it came from Ornstein.
Of course we’re allowed to dream but it’s got to a point now that, when it doesn’t happen, other supporters are going to use it as another stick to beat us with, mark my words!
I can only go off this site mate and most don’t think it will happen
as for rival fans , who cares as it makes zero sense
offering a player a contract but him happy to stay where he is isn’t failing
I think people forget football is a business
Who cares what the rabid Arsenal haters say? Reasonable people can see this for what it is.
Likelihood of us getting him is very low, but it’s fun to imagine, and it’s a positive that we’re even in the conversation.
If we go into the season with Tzolis and Martinelli as our specialist left wingers, we’re covered, and still in a fairly good spot. We won the league last year with a declining Trossard and a misfiring Martinelli (in the league at least), so it’s not all doom and gloom by any means. Adding Vini Jr would be a propaganda coup for the club overall. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. No harm in trying.
My reason for not wanting him is more to do with him immediately becoming too powerful within the club, and him being willing to use it to get his way. I think the situations with xabi Alonso and ancelotti leaving RM were influenced by him (and mbappe) because he wasn’t happy about one thing or another, and didn’t want to follow their instructions (admittedly after a highly successful period under ancelotti). I don’t want people who believe they’re bigger than the club and will use their position to undermine the manager. I believe he’s that type of person and if he’s willing to do that at real Madrid, he’d definitely be willing to do it at arsenal. That could become an expensive mistake on more ways than one.
Appreciated the article, though – I agree that many commenters on the site have cited his ego and wage demands as reasons to avoid him, and agree those aren’t great reasons on their own. Also agree he’s a top player. One of the world’s best right now in his position.
Im agreeing with a lot of what Davi writes……
There are pros and cons to every signing and whilst Im in love with the idea of such a talented left winger joining the Gunners , there are just too many CONS lurking about.
Remember , the key to winning the PL last season was a united dressingroom working so hard for an excellent Manager. We prevailed in a titanic struggle….and its not just the financial implications that bothers me about this potential signing …..
all I will say is be careful what you ask for
some will struggle to complain about our attack if they are saying Alvarez , Williams now V Jr are not wanted
don’t then complain is we are left with Maduake and Havertz lol
Forgive me but I don’t think Nico Williams should be in the same sentence as Vinicius or Alvarez for that matter. He’s simply over hyped
oh I agree
I’m saying that is three players we have been linked with this summer who some fans don’t want even though they are better then what we have
I’ve said before that our attack is significantly better than what we think. If you watch games where we actually attack (albeit in parts sometimes), you’ll notice that the major issue has always been the overall tactics of having attackers do heavy defensive work which to be fair, won us the league.
Not sure Nico Williams falls into the bracket of players who can improve it.
And I just checked his Transfermarkt value. It’s €40m. Few seasons ago (when they won the Euros), it was €75m
you think Martinelli or Maduake or Eze are better then those three players on the left ?
I see Vini has spoken to media for the first time since our interest.
Speaks about enjoying being back in training and good to be back with the team and meeting Mourinho etc.
Nothing serious about his future though. Nothing to really read into.
I don’t know if this transfer will even happen but if it does, I will be very happy. He’s a great player. Great stats
He’s also an extremely creative player, with stylistic attributes we lack.
If you’re not particularly familiar with his skillset and play style, just check out a few videos You’ll see quickly the flourishes and technique that make him so exciting to watch for his fans (and why his image rights are worth so much).
I highly doubt Vinicius will come to Arsenal.
Guimaraes is the signing I think we stand a chance of getting.
Our squad is still pretty good if we end up not getting Vinicius.
1ST TEAM –
Havertz.
Tzolis. Odegaard. Saka.
Guimaraes. Rice.
Calafiori. Gabriel. Saliba. Timber.
Raya.
2ND TEAM –
Gyokeres.
Martinelli. Eze. Madueke.
Merino. Zubimendi.
Skelly. Hincapie. Mosquera. White.
Meslier.
RESERVES –
Downman, Jesus, Nwaneri.
This is actually a strong 1st and 2nd 11 that can play well and win us titles this, if we end up not getting any superstar left winger.
I actually see a lot of people talking down the impending Guimaraes signing as an underwhelming one.
I think they don’t understand the level up he adds to our midfield.
his arrival is terrorising not only opponents but insiders like Skelly who wants to join Utd. Ripple effects! Guimaraes lessens the burdens of Rice. Rice would now feel free to demonstrate his versatility
Some names are popping up after some hibernation
Now as many poster’s on here will know, I’ve always called this a non-story, and I stick by it.
But it’s got me thinking as to previous big name players that came to Arsenal, that were already well established stars and players you wouldn’t necessarily think of joining Arsenal.
I’ll list 7. Dennis Bergkamp, Marc Overmars, Davor Suker, Kanu, Ozil, Sanchez, Sol Campbell.
In case you’re wondering why I haven’t included the likes of Henry, Viera, Pires, Wiltord, Ljunberg, well they were not really considered big stars until they developed at Arsenal. That’s where they became stars.
I’m sure there are some others, any ideas?.
you have inspired a future article if he comes lol
Dan,
You should do the Article even if he doesn’t come. Listen to me, if he doesn’t come. 😂🤦♂️
lol
Derek, I would say Henry was a big star, seeing as he was the top scorer for France when the won the World Cup in ’98.
Actually Herr Drier,
I hear what you say regarding Henry. But I just think when we signed him from Juventus, he hadn’t really had a good time there. And it was at Arsenal that he really took off, once he got that first goal versus Southampton, there was no stopping him.
The same thing could be said of Dennis Bergkamp to a point. Although he was a star when at Ajax, he didn’t really have a good time at Inter Milan. On joining Arsenal he was quoted as saying one of the reasons he joined was that Arsenal were going to play in a way that suited his game.
But again, I do hear you regards Henry.
Derek, you’re right about his 6 months with Juventus, but that transfer form Monaco was a set up. We wanted him in August ’98, but Monaco refused to sell him to us because we had bought 3 of their players, Petit, Grimandi and Weah the previous season.
DB10 has a good first season at Inter and was their top goalscorer when they won the UEFA Cup. It all turned sour for him the following season when the new manager changed the formation to 4-5-1, with him as the lone striker.
DB10 was the best player I’ve ever seen play for us.
Herr Drier,
It’s hard to disagree with you regards the non-flying dutchman. What a buzz it must have been to be a forward in that side, you make the run and Bergkamp would find you.
John Hartson once said, Bergkamp could play in the snow and he wouldn’t leave any foot prints. 😂
also not sure about Overmars
this is me asking – did he not suffer a serious injury before and therefore it was seen as a gamble ?
Yes Dan,
You’re correct. It was looked at the time that Wenger was taking a gamble. But it paid off big time.
Seeing how rapid Overmars’s was, it makes you wonder how quick he was before he picked up that knee injury.
I always remember Wenger wanting Overmars to do his defensive duty’s as well. But Nigel Winterburn would tell him to forget about defending, leave that to him, and go and do you’re damage at the other end.
It worked out quite well I think you’ll agree. 😂👍
Oh 100 percent
Loved him , no disputing how good he was