Bradley Barcola, Marcus Rashford and Arsenal’s alternatives to Vinicius Junior ranked after Gunners miss out on Real Madrid star.
Arsenal’s attempt to land Vinicius Junior always looked ambitious. In a major revelation towards the end of July, it emerged that the Gunners were ‘exploring’ the possibility of doing a deal for the Real Madrid superstar as they looked to bring in a marquee signing on the left wing, but those efforts eventually led nowhere after he agreed a new contract at the Bernabeu. So, where do they go from here?
After a fortnight of uncertainty, Vinicius is remaining in Madrid after signing a lucrative new six-year contract, bringing an end to the north London club’s hopes of completing what would have been one of the most extraordinary Premier League transfers ever.
Arsenal had already suffered frustration in their long-running chase of Morgan Rogers, with the versatile Aston Villa and England forward unexpectedly opting to join Chelsea in a staggering £117 million ($155m) move earlier in July.
That leaves Mikel Arteta and his staff back at square one in the hunt for a statement signing on the left flank, but there are still several elite names available in the market...
8 Mika Godts (Ajax)
Mika Godts was one of the left-wingers Arsenal were linked with earlier in the summer, and he is also on the radar of Paris Saint-Germain, although the noise around that interest has since faded. Signing players from the Eredivisie who are otherwise still unproven always carries a degree of risk, even if the Belgian posted some eye-catching numbers last season.
The skilful wide player scored 17 goals and provided another 12 in the league for Ajax last season, but it was notable that he managed just one goal in the Champions League and was omitted from Belgium’s World Cup squad.
At 21, Godts would not exactly fit the profile of the marquee arrival the Gunners are said to be targeting, and they have already filled the back-up role on that side following Leandro Trossard’s departure by signing Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge in a fairly expensive £34m ($45m) deal, which probably makes this one a non-starter.
7 Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich)
This is a move that feels similar to the Vinicius situation in terms of difficulty, but Luis Diaz would undoubtedly qualify as a statement signing for Arsenal, even if it remains little more than a dream at this point.
The Colombian established himself as arguably the best left-winger in world football last season with Bayern Munich, tormenting defences as part of a devastating front three alongside Harry Kane and Michael Olise. He ended the campaign with an extraordinary 49 attacking contributions, split evenly between goals and assists.
Clearly, this transfer is highly improbable, but there is at least a small glimmer of hope that a move for a player previously linked with the north Londoners could become possible. Reports have suggested that the 29-year-old may have been tempted by a huge offer from Al-Hilal, but Arsenal would obviously need enormous financial muscle to rival the wealth of the Saudi club.
6 Rafael Leao (AC Milan)
One of the most polarising figures in Italian football, a move for AC Milan’s Rafael Leao would certainly come with risk. But if - and it is a very big ‘if’ - he were finally able to discover consistency after a fresh start, the gamble could bring major rewards.
With former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim now in charge, a coach well known for not using traditional wingers, there is a feeling that the Rossoneri may be willing to let go of a player who was once regarded as one of their crown jewels.
It has been reported that Milan want a €50m (£43m/$57m) fee for the 27-year-old amid interest from Turkey, which looks decent value given Leao still possesses the raw talent to be one of the finest wingers around on his day.
5 Kenan Yildiz (Juventus)
This one may already be a dead end, but Arsenal could still revive their interest in Juventus talisman Kenan Yildiz after missing out on Vini Jr. It would certainly represent the kind of statement signing they are seeking.
The Athletic reported earlier this summer that the Gunners had made an enquiry for the Turkey international wide man, but Juventus quickly shut that down, remaining adamant that the 21-year-old is not for sale.
It is still unclear whether Juve’s stance will be tested again later in the window, but reports suggest it would take a massive offer in excess of €100m (£86m/$114m) for them to even start considering Yildiz’s departure.
4 Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Some Arsenal supporters may not like the thought of a move for Marcus Rashford, given his long-standing ties to Manchester United and the fact that he appears unwanted at Old Trafford, but the north London side could do far worse in their search for a new left-winger.
The 28-year-old is, of course, proven in the Premier League, and he is coming off an impressive loan spell at Barcelona where he appeared to rediscover both his form and confidence - something that should not be ignored despite the Blaugrana’s strange decision not to activate a bargain €30m (£26m/$35m) option to buy him.
United are supposedly open to doing business at around that relatively low £26m figure, but it has also been claimed that they have no intention of selling to a domestic rival for fear of being ‘humiliated’ by Rashford’s possible performances. His huge £325,000-per-week wages could also prove to be a major obstacle.
3 Nico Williams (Athletic Club)
A long-term Arsenal target, there is a sense that Nico Williams’ stock has dipped somewhat over the past couple of seasons, and that may mean this is finally the ideal time for Arsenal to make their move.
Since lighting up Euro 2024, the winger has been troubled by niggling injuries which have, in turn, affected his output. The 24-year-old made only 25 La Liga appearances last season after dramatically rejecting a move to Barcelona in favour of staying with Athletic Club, and he registered 10 goal contributions - modest returns for a player of his quality.
Still, while this would carry some risk if his fitness issues continue, it has been widely reported that the remarkable 10-year contract Williams signed last summer includes a €90m (£77m/$103m) release clause, which should comfortably be within Arsenal’s reach for a marquee addition.
2 Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain)
Many would place Bradley Barcola at the top of this ranking, and he certainly ticks plenty of boxes; the France international is an elite wide attacker, he could potentially be available given PSG’s abundance of attacking options, and he is believed to favour a move to the Premier League.
However, the situation is not quite as simple as it may first appear. Unless Arsenal are prepared to smash their transfer record, Barcola could well be beyond them; reports claim PSG have put a huge €170m (£146m/$194m) price tag on the 23-year-old - a valuation shaped by the enormous fees paid for players such as Rogers and Elliot Anderson this summer.
On top of that, the Gunners face strong competition from Premier League rivals Liverpool, with whom Barcola has opened talks and reportedly indicated as his preferred destination. It remains to be seen whether Arsenal now accelerate their efforts to change that with the Vinicius move no longer realistic.
1 Eli Junior Kroupi (Bournemouth)
Not a natural winger in the strictest sense, but this would be a signing for both the present and the future for Arsenal. Eli Junior Kroupi has emerged as one of the most in-demand players of this transfer window after a brilliant individual campaign for Bournemouth last season, producing 13 Premier League goals at the age of 19 along with a series of outstanding displays. Arsenal and Barcelona are both said to be among his admirers.
It is true that most of those goals came from central positions, but Kroupi showed during his spell at former club Lorient that he is equally comfortable operating out wide, recording 11 goal contributions in just 12 appearances as a left-winger (10 goals, one assist). The Frenchman - who has only just turned 20 - has already been labelled ‘the next Thierry Henry’ in some circles, and the Arsenal legend was often used to devastating effect from the left, especially during his time at Barcelona.
Bournemouth, however, are unwilling to lose one of their key players, and it has been reported that a huge fee of around £111m ($148m) would be needed for the Cherries to even think about a sale. He has also suffered a foot injury that will keep him out for the opening months of the season. In the longer term, though, it may still be a deal worth considering for a youngster who is already proven in the Premier League and looks capable of becoming a world-class talent.
