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Even just the thought of Vinicius Jr. joining Arsenal has proved enough to send the Gunners faithful wild.
Rumours have swirled for months that he could leave Real Madrid and fans dared to believe he may be lured to north London, a pipe dream made all the more plausible when David Ornstein confirmed that Arsenal are exploring it.
There is still a long way to go before he dons the famous red and white – if it happens at all – but it is very much a possibility and his arrival would surely have an explosive impact for the Premier League champions.
Three winners and losers if Arsenal complete a move for Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr.
Resulting shrapnel could fly in any direction though and, as such, there would be ups and downs for one to consider from his acquisition.
Here are three winners and three losers should Arsenal manage to strike a deal with Real Madrid for Vinicius Jr.
Winners
1. Bukayo Saka
Noni Madueke was just for starters; Vini Jr. is the main course which may see Bukayo Saka rediscover his best form.
Arsenal have long funnelled their attacks down the right flank because Saka is, unquestionably, their star forward. However, his outstanding talent often leads to teams crowding him out in order to stifle the Gunners’ goal threat.
Managing his minutes (by buying Madueke) was one way of helping him, but it might also help him if opponents had things to worry about elsewhere.
Vini Jr. would certainly give them that.
He is a genuine superstar whose numbers – 228 goal involvements in 375 games at Real Madrid – are enough to strike fear into any defence. No one will want to leave him unmarked and it might, in turn, see Saka get more room in which to operate.
Defenders will not know which way to go.
2. Viktor Gyokeres
Poor Viktor Gyokeres did his best as a playmaking no. 9 last year, though it is obviously not the job he likes best.
Dropping deep or linking up with others is a key tenet of the striker role for Mikel Arteta but the Gyok is at his most devastating when in and around the box, or else when given the opportunity to charge into open space on the break.
Perhaps Vini Jr. would make life better.
To start, the Brazilian can conjure attacks all on his own, so Gyokeres might get more than just scraps to feed off up top. But his arrival could prompt the boss to shift creative responsibility towards each flank too, rather than overburdening the striker with it, leaving the Swede then to focus on getting into strong offensive positions and finish the attacks instead.
Amidst his struggles, Gyokeres showed his worth when given a sight of goal last season so adding a name like Vini Jr. to the team should help him to raise his goal-scoring numbers to the heights hit at Sporting CP.
3. Arsenal fans
Pragmatism, set-piece mastery and a strong defence all helped Arsenal become champions but also made for a hard watch at times.
Reliance on those factors perhaps owed to the lack of a world-class talent up front, with Saka being hampered by injury and Arsenal otherwise missing a do-it-all forward ever since Alexis Sanchez left back in 2018.
Vini Jr. would breathe new life into the club.
The 26-year-old can do everything from posing a transitional threat to winning one-on-one duels and can score or create chances at ease, while he also bears that ‘inevitable’ streak which is invaluable as games hangs in the balance.
He brings a spark that the stodgy Arsenal attack so badly needs and it could see the liquid football of old return to the Emirates; after labouring to the title last term, fans deserve to watch the Gunners at their purring best again.
Losers
1. Gabriel Martinelli
No doubt the biggest loser of this deal.
Gabriel Martinelli is already second-in-command to Vini Jr. for Brazil while he spent much of last year on the bench behind Leandro Trossard.
Adding both the Madrid man and Christos Tzolis to the squad might just push him nearer to the exit door.
At the very least, this interest is a make-or-break moment for Martinelli: he only has 12 months left on his current deal and does not feature as prominently in Arteta’s plans today as he did just a few years back.
He is also 25 years old, so it could be a prime time for him to seal a big move and revitalise his steady career.
It would be sad to lose Martinelli after seven years, but now feels like an opportune moment to sell him.
2. Riccardo Calafiori/Piero Hincapié
You can bet that either Riccardo Calafiori or Piero Hincapié would be perfectly fine with Vini Jr. up top as long as Arsenal keep winning.
But he does not help out much defensively (something for which Martinelli is lauded) and that could put them under more pressure at the back.
Both men are strong defenders but the Gunners’ defensive resolve owes to the collective effort, with pressing from the front men being the first line of defence and tight spaces from front to back being key to making the whole unit impenetrable.
The trade-off might well be worth it for Vini Jr. but it could leave the Arsenal left back exposed, and they already have to contend with the long-term injury to William Saliba; extra defensive work might spell a world of trouble.
Calafiori’s knees will not thank Vini Jr. for that.
3. KSE
David Ornstein said the idea of Vini Jr. arriving has gained "approval at all levels within Arsenal” but, still, spare a thought for KSE.
A literal Galactico signing comes with Galactico costs; Vini Jr. is rumoured to earn around £400kpw at Real Madrid and he would command a similar amount in north London, which would make him the highest earner at the club.
It is perhaps not the biggest worry for KSE as Arsenal are on course to announce record revenue for a Premier League team. In addition, the merchandise sold off the back of any deal would probably pay it off within a week.
But it still represents an eye-watering sum that will burn a hole in KSE pockets. Could it also make the other negotiations (e.g. other signings, or renewals for Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber) a bit tougher to settle?
Arsenal can cross that bridge when they get there.
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