Arsenal are exploring a sensational move for Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior, as Mikel Arteta’s summer transfer plans finally start to kick into gear.

The Gunners have had a slow start to the window, with their only pieces of confirmed business being the signings of Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge and goalkeeper Illan Meslier on a free transfer from Leeds. While there is some excitement over Tzolis, these deals are hardly ones to get the pulses racing in North London.

A formal offer for Vinicius certainly would, though. Reputable journalist David Ornstein revealed on Saturday that a deal for the Real Madrid star is plausible, with the 26-year-old entering the final year of his contract at the Bernabeu.

If developments aren’t made in negotiations over a fresh deal in the next week or so, then Arsenal are on hand to pounce.

With that said, we take a look at the winners and losers of Vinicius’ prospective move to the Emirates.

Winners From Arsenal Signing Vinicius Junior

Bukayo Saka

For too long, Bukayo Saka has carried the burden of being Arsenal’s standout attacking threat. Opponents have increasingly built their defensive plans around stopping him, safe in the knowledge that few other players consistently punish the extra attention he receives.

Vinicius would make that approach far riskier. His ability to burst down the left and threaten the goal himself means teams couldn’t simply overload Saka’s side without leaving dangerous spaces elsewhere.

Whether defenders shift across to contain Saka or stay on the left to deal with Vinicius, Arsenal would finally have two genuine ball-carrying, goal-threatening outlets capable of exploiting the gaps. It’s exactly the kind of variety Arteta’s attack has been lacking.

Martin Odegaard

Martin Odegaard orchestrates the bulk of Arsenal’s attacks. The Norwegian sits in the right half-space and dictates the tempo of the Gunners’ football, distributing the ball to the two wide men, who are then obliged to make something happen in the final third.

In his five-and-a-half years in N5, Odegaard has been heavily reliant on Saka’s output on the right. He has fed Saka in dangerous spaces consistently, without being able to trust the man on the opposite flank.

With Vinicius, the Arsenal captain will finally have someone he can regularly feed on the left, who can actually start producing on this side. This could have a hugely positive effect on Odegaard’s assist numbers, improving the public perception of his work.

Piero Hincapie

Arsenal undoubtedly view Vinicius as a potential saviour to their left wing woes. These reports are validated by the suggestion that Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola is seen as an alternative, clearly demonstrating their vision for the Brazilian.

If Vinicius does indeed arrive in North London, he may not play as an archetypal winger. It’s possible he’ll be deployed in more of a narrow role, which would allow him to pick the ball up in the pockets and in the half-spaces.

This should, in theory, benefit Piero Hincapie, who looked much better when he had Leandro Trossard or Eberechi Eze operating in this narrow role ahead of him on the left. Hincapie is much more comfortable playing on the outside and overlapping his winger, rather than playing inside and inverting into midfield as Riccardo Calafiori does.

Losers From Arsenal Signing Vinicius Junior

Gabriel Martinelli

Vinicius’ arrival as a potential left-winger at Arsenal would essentially put an end to Gabriel Martinelli’s career at the Emirates Stadium. If the Gunners are willing to fork out in excess of £100 million on the 26-year-old to predominantly play on this flank, it means they don’t believe in their existing Brazilian left-winger to produce what is required.

Arsenal have already sold Leandro Trossard to Besiktas for £17 million this summer, and Martinellli could soon follow.

Even if he stays in North London, Vinicius’ signing could be the final nail in the coffin for the former Ituano man’s prospects of being Arsenal’s star left-winger. He may not stay, however, with Bayern Munich understood to be interested in the 25-year-old.

Christos Tzolis

via Reuters

Christos Tzolis likely knew that he was signing up for something of a squad role when agreeing to join Arsenal from Club Brugge. Rarely does a player jump from the Belgian league to a top-six Premier League club, for just £34 million, and immediately assume a starring role.

The Greek was probably aware that he’d have to bide his time in Islington and wait for an opportunity to stake a claim to be the first-choice option on the left flank under Arteta. He likely expected a Barcola or a Nico Williams to arrive to compete with him — excellent players but not indispensable figures.

Just days after his move to the Emirates became public, reports linking Arsenal to the best left forward in world football have emerged. Tzolis may now be ruing his decision to swap Brugge for the British capital, not because he doesn’t back himself to succeed, but because he may be competing for minutes with a bona fide superstar.

If Vinicius signs for the Gunners, he’ll expect to play almost every available minute in the league and the Champions League. He can’t just be a regular starter, but he’ll need to be the key pillar that Arteta builds the team around if he agrees to join the North London club.

That leaves Tzolis in a difficult position, desperately fighting for the odd cameo or appearance in cup competitions. While his switch to Arsenal could still work wonders for his status in European football, he may not be called upon anywhere near as regularly as he might’ve expected when first hearing of the Gunners’ interest in him.

All Statistics via FotMob — correct as of 25/07/2026

Ben Jacobs has given an update on Tottenham Hotspur‘s transfer business and particularly their interest in Manchester City winger Savinho.

Spurs have been putting last season’s disappointment behind them with a major rebuild of Roberto De Zerbi’s squad. Six signings have been made thus far, including the club record £100 million arrival of Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United.

A new attacker could be next on the cards for De Zerbi and the Lilywhites, who are exploring several options. They have made progress on a potential deal for a long-term target.

Jacobs: Savinho Fee No Issue For Tottenham

via Reuters

Jacobs delved into Spurs’ pursuit of Manchester City winger Savinho and suggested that the Brazilian is edging closer to a move to North London. He said on the latest episode of GIVEMESPORT’s Market Madness:

“Savinho, top choice, and talks are ongoing with Man City. I sense here finances won’t be a problem, and if Man City find a replacement, the door becomes open for Savinho to depart, and that’s why Tottenham are prepared to be patient.”

Spurs’ interest in Savinho extends back to last summer and they tried signing him during the final weeks of the transfer window. Pep Guardiola, who called him ‘top class ‘, opted to keep the player, but a lack of game time has led to speculation over an exit this time around.

Another name on the Lilywhites’ radar is Junior Kroupi, but Jacobs revealed several obstacles standing in their way:

“They like Junior Kroupi. Bournemouth want to keep hold of him. Arsenal have looked at Junior Kroupi as well. So let’s see how that develops. But I don’t think that’s a today tomorrow type transfer saga.”

Kroupi caught the eye throughout last season at Bournemouth and is one of the Premier League’s most exciting forwards. But with Arsenal also admirers of the French youngster it feels a difficult deal for Spurs to do.

Savinho Could Thrive Under De Zerbi

Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

Savinho could be an excellent addition to De Zerbi’s squad, possessing pace, agility and creativity. He’s not really been given enough opportunities at City, and a move does feel increasingly likely.

At just 22, he can further develop at Spurs and potentially take the left-wing starting berth for years to come. His end product needs some work, and last season he registered just one goal and two assists in 24 league games.

The fee will be important as the North Londoners will want to ensure they don’t overpay given his status in City’s squad. Interest in Kroupi is understandable following a breakout season but he will likely be extremely expensive and could be one to pursue next year.

Manchester United have completed the £35million signing of Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans, as Michael Carrick’s summer transfer plans heat up.

The Red Devils had endured a slow start to the window, and their fanbase was sent into meltdown when a move for long-term target Ederson collapsed at the eleventh hour. While a deal for Chelsea’s Andrey Santos was sealed, the Atalanta star was supposed to be the marquee midfield acquisition to replace Casemiro at Old Trafford.

However, the north-west club’s hierarchy quickly pivoted to an alternative in Tielemans and it represents an astute piece of business from the much-maligned recruitment department at Old Trafford.

With that said, GIVEMESPORT has taken a look at the winners and losers of Tielemans’ move to Manchester United.

Winners from Man Utd signing Youri Tielemans

Bruno Fernandes

In the first half of last season, before Carrick’s arrival, Bruno Fernandes was forced back into a deeper role under Ruben Amorim. While the Portuguese midfielder still found a way to be productive in this position, his game went up a level when he was pushed further forward in the latter half of the campaign.

Part of the reason Amorim insisted on using Fernandes in a double pivot was that United lacked midfield ball progression without his passing from deep. The former Sporting CP boss used his captain as a way of getting the ball up the pitch because United lack passers in the rest of their squad.

With Tielemans in the team, Fernandes won’t need to be tasked with dropping deep to progress the ball and can instead focus on finding space in the final third and creating shots for his teammates. The 29-year-old Belgium international is exceptional at breaking lines with his passing, and this should lend itself to forging a partnership with Fernandes, who is adept at positioning himself to receive passes like this in the final third.

If there’s anybody in United’s squad who will benefit from finally having an excellent midfield passer, it’s the team’s skipper.

Kobbie Mainoo

While Kobbie Mainoo has an abundance of useful attributes, progressive passing is not one of them. The England international struggles to get his foot on the ball and break lines or play aggressive switches.

Since breaking into the first team at Old Trafford, the youngster hasn’t had anyone to play alongside to take this burden. Tielemans can certainly do this, allowing Mainoo to focus on his primary skills, such as his ability to retain possession under pressure, his dogged defensive work and his intricate movements with the ball in the final third.

The 21-year-old has been crying out for a metronomic playmaker to partner with at the base of United’s midfield, and he may finally have that.

Losers from Man Utd signing Youri Tielemans

Andrey Santos

While Santos was probably aware that he was arriving at United to fulfil a squad rotation role, at least for the immediate short-term, he probably didn’t anticipate being ousted this quickly by a new marquee signing.

On top of this, Tielemans’ set of skills is so unique in United’s squad, and so different to Santos’, that the Brazilian has already been made somewhat redundant. The ex-Monaco man’s ability to progress the ball through passing will quickly become essential to Carrick’s side’s build-up, and this will make him undroppable from the outset.

Thus, Santos will have one less player Carrick can trust to swap him in for, for any given game. The new signing from Chelsea doesn’t provide any of the on-ball value that Tielemans does, and Carrick therefore can’t simply bring him in for the Belgian without United losing significant value to their build-up.

Harry Maguire

Harry Maguire is one of United’s best passers from deep. However, this quality will be much less valuable with an even more prolific progressive passer playing slightly ahead of him. Not only will this potentially lead to the centre-back being less appreciated for his efforts in United’s team, but it also may mean Carrick is less willing to pick him consistently.

If Maguire’s defensive work isn’t up to scratch, then the United boss has less of a reason to select him, as his passing quality won’t be as valuable with another player providing it to a higher level. To make matters worse for the Englishman, Tielemans’ own defensive work, and ability to cover ground, is often considered his biggest weakness.

The ex-Leicester City playmaker lacks athleticism, and the midfields he’s part of are often carved through with relative ease if he’s not paired alongside a doggish, physically imposing, defensive midfielder. United lack this profile in their squad currently, meaning Maguire is likely to suffer as he’ll have more ground to cover and be left more exposed by the lightweight midfield in front of him.

Lisandro Martinez

For similar reasons to Maguire, Lisandro Martinez may be hindered by the signing of Tielemans. Like his English counterpart, his passing from the ball is all of a sudden less valuable, while he’ll be left more exposed in transition by Tielemans’ lack of athleticism.

However, where Martinez may suffer more than Maguire is the reduced physicality and aerial ability in front of United’s back four. Last term, Casemiro’s size and power in aerial duels helped cover Martinez’s relative lack of size and failure to win balls in the air.

Tielemans alongside Mainoo is a significantly inferior midfield in this specific aspect of the game, and this could leave Martinez vulnerable if the opposition has a big striker they want to hit directly.

All Statistics via FotMob – correct as of 13/07/2026