Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has ridiculed Arsenal supporters who became overly enthusiastic about the prospect of signing Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian forward recently committed his future to the Spanish club by signing a new six-year contract.
Arsenal had reportedly pursued the 26-year-old winger during his extended contract negotiations with Real Madrid. Reports indicated that Arsenal was prepared to make Vinicius Junior the highest-paid player in Premier League history if a transfer had materialized. The potential move was seen by many as one of the most significant transfers in modern English football.
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's manager, had publicly expressed his strong interest in the player, stating he was "absolutely smitten" with the idea of the signing, which had reportedly received approval at all levels within the club.
However, Vinicius Junior ultimately extended his stay at the Santiago Bernabéu, concluding an 18-month contract saga. His new deal reportedly positions him as Real Madrid's second-highest earner, behind Kylian Mbappé, and ahead of teammates Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde.
Mikel suggested that Arsenal's pursuit of Vinicius Junior was never realistic and that the player was merely using the Gunners to secure a more favorable contract with Real Madrid. "I don’t know what the Arsenal fans were expecting," Mikel said on The Obi One Podcast. "You win the league after 22 years and then you all of a sudden think: that’s it, you’ve arrived, you’re one of the big boys again. No, you’re not."
He further argued that Vinicius Junior, having experienced success in the Champions League and La Liga with Real Madrid, would not leave for a club with Arsenal's recent trophy record. "He’s tasted what it feels like winning the Champions League, Arsenal have never won the Champions League. Zero," Mikel stated. "You expect a player who has won the Champions League with Real Madrid to leave that, everything that he’s built at Real Madrid… and go to a team that has won one league title in 22 years? F***ing hell."
Mikel asserted that the prospect of Vinicius Junior moving to Arsenal was improbable, claiming that only Arsenal fans genuinely believed it could happen. "He was using you guys [Arsenal] to get a better deal, he was using them to get a better deal," he added. "I don’t know what they were smoking."
Following their Premier League title win last season, Arsenal has strengthened their squad by signing Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle for £75 million, as well as Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier. The club is also reportedly interested in Juventus player Kenan Yildiz and PSG's Bradley Barcola, though Barcola is also a target for Liverpool.