Arsenal assistant coach admits interest in Real Madrid forward – “His name was on the table” | OneFootball

Before signing a lucrative renewal at Real Madrid, Vinicius Jr.’s future was up in the air in the summer transfer window.

The Brazilian international was particularly linked with a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal emerging as a potential destination.

The move did not materialise at the end, with Vinicius ending up signing a contract extension that should seal his long-term future at the Bernabeu.

Arsenal assistant coach admits interest

Arsenal were interested in Vinicius in the summer. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

One month into the new season, Arsenal have now admitted they indeed had interest in signing Vinicius Jr. in the summer.

Miguel Molina, one of Mikel Arteta’s assistant coaches at Arsenal, has revealed that the player’s name was on the list of targets for the Gunners.

“Yes, of course. Obviously, I can’t ignore reality, but his name was already on the table,” he said (h/t MARCA).

Molina’s comments are in line with recent reports that suggest even some of Vinicius’ teammates at Real Madrid expected him to join Arsenal this summer.

This is hardly surprising as Arsenal were in the market for a new explosive forward this summer. Other than Vinicius, they had also emerged as an outside candidate to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid. But the Gunners were unable to sign either of them.

Vinicius Jr. struggling at Real Madrid

Vinicius must return to full form after the break. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Real Madrid’s decision to hand Vinicius a lucrative renewal, however, hasn’t paid dividends so far.

The Brazilian international has struggled with form, racking up only one goal in all competitions so far, while registering three assists.

Vinicius has once again found it difficult to build a solid partnership alongside Kylian Mbappe, who has been criticised over his positioning as a striker, as he often tends drift into the left side.

Recent reports indicate that Jose Mourinho is slowly losing patience with Vinicius Jr. and it won’t be surprising to see the forward losing his place in the starting eleven if his form continues.

At the same time, Mourinho remains a huge admirer of the Brazilian’s quality and believes he can bounce back when club football resumes after a long international break.