Arsenal were reportedly keen on snatching Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid but could still improve the left wing should they want to.
The Gunners ended last season with Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli as their main options. Eberechi Eze often played there as well, but found his best form down the middle as a number 10.
Trossard’s move to Besiktas left them short on the position. It didn’t take long for the board to complete a £34 million deal for Club Brugge’s Christos Tzolis, with just nine days separating both transfers. But Arsenal still felt like they could improve their squad.
They emerged as a real suitor for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior. What could have been the most shocking move of the whole transfer window wasn’t meant to be, however, as the Brazilian extended his contract with the Spanish giants. But this doesn’t mean the Gunners can’t still bring in a big-name player for the left wing spot.
Who could Arsenal sign as Vinicius Junior alternatives?
Bradley Barcola
Arsenal wouldn’t be the first English side to show interest in PSG’s Bradley Barcola. Liverpool have apparently been trying to sign him for a few weeks, though the Parisiens are holding tight to their £145 million valuation of the 23-year-old.
However, that is probably around what the Gunners would have had to pay to sign Vinicius Junior in the first place. They could very well ‘hijack’ the Reds and be at the centre of yet another transfer saga.
Barcola is a similar profile of winger to the Brazilian. Fast, skillful – not always ‘efficient’ in terms of maximising possessions – but never afraid to try. Plus an eye for the shot, acting more as a play finisher than a creator. Though Vinicius’ passing stats have increased since he started playing alongside Kylian Mbappe.
The Frenchman also has the upside of regularly playing on both sides, with Luis Enrique’s rotations allowing wingers to switch positions. This would be a positive for Arsenal, who have seen Bukayo Saka miss time due to injuries recently.
Kenan Yildiz
Juventus’ reputation around Europe and even in Italy has taken a huge hit over the past few years. They finished outside the top-four for the second time in the last four seasons, which had only happened one time in their previous 12 Serie A campaigns combined.
Missing out on Champions League football entirely could be damaging in many ways. One of them would be holding their most talented players from other clubs around the world.
Kenan Yildiz plays a very mature brand of football for a 21-year-old. His footballing situations at club and also at country level require him to shoulder a lot of responsibility.
For perspective, he was the only player in the top-5 European leagues last season to record 75+ shot attempts (97), chances created (76) and successful take-ons (78). The closest ones were Lamine Yamal, who came three chances created short, and Vinicius Junior himself (five chances created short).
Lowering to 50+ and adding in fouls won, Arsenal’s own Bukayo Saka, Bayern Munichs’ Michael Olise and Toulouse’s Yann Gboho join the trio.
At 6’2”, Yildiz’s size would help him adapt to the physicality of the Premier League. Despite not playing much on the right, he is excellent with both feet and also likes to drift inside occasionally – as did Trossard.
Rafael Leao
Like Vinicius Junior (26), Rafael Leao (27) already looks more like the finished product than Barcola and Yildiz. He is coming off a down year at Milan, which would make his value as low as it has ever been since joing the Italian giants.
It even manifested in the World Cup, as he lost his place in the starting XI to Joao Felix. Though Leao was considerably better despite the limited role and even got the nod in the round of 32 win over Croatia, providing the assist fot Goncalo Ramos’ late winner.
We have all seen Leao at his best, with the mix of size and skill making for one of the most entertaining players to watch. And he himself publicly talked about the desire of leaving Milan and pursuing a challenge in a different league. A loan deal with option to buy could be in the cards should Arsenal want to take a chance on him.
Even in a relatively poor season, the Portuguese winger managed to find himself among the only 21 forwards that both received and created 10+ big chances in the top-5 European leagues last year.
He might be the least ‘flashy’ of the three possible signings, but also the one at lowest cost – maybe even not a permanent one to avoid big financial risks or commitments.
