Arsenal are looking to pull off an audacious move for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior this summer, and while this prospective deal would massively elevate Mikel Arteta’s team’s attack, a sacrifice will need to be made along the way.

Reputable journalist David Ornstein broke the news that the Gunners are exploring a deal for Vinicius on Saturday, prompting huge excitement amongst the North London club’s fanbase. The Premier League champions have been in the hunt for a superstar left-winger for some time, but have struggled to make it happen.

The Brazilian phenomenon is currently locked in contract talks with Real Madrid. While it’s possible that he and Los Blancos reach an agreement over a new deal, the mood music around this situation hasn’t been positive for the Spanish giants, and it now seems genuinely plausible that he ends his love affair with the serial Champions League winners.

If Vinicius fails to reach a consensus with Florentino Perez’s right-hand men, then Arsenal are waiting in the wings, ready to pounce and enact what would be a statement deal.

Vinicius Junior Deal Would Be Very Expensive for Arsenal

Phil Noble via Action Images via Reuters

The obvious stumbling block for Arsenal in their pursuit of Vinicius is the finances associated with the deal. The 26-year-old currently earns a purported base salary of around £410,000-a-week (via Capology), with bonuses taking it to £615,000-a-week.

Reports suggest that contract talks with Real Madrid have stalled because the La Liga club haven’t been prepared to match Vinicius’ wage demands. Given the financial resources available to Los Blancos, it’s likely that they have offered the player a significant raise, and he still hasn’t accepted it.

That doesn’t bode well for Arsenal’s chances of being able to agree terms with the player. The Gunners’ current highest earner is Bukayo Saka on £300,000 a week. They’d therefore have to break their wage structure to have even a remote chance of landing Vinicius.

All of this comes before negotiating a signing-on fee, agent fees and a transfer fee with Real Madrid. While the Spanish outfit won’t have much leverage if Vinicius turns down the proposals on offer, given he has 12 months left on his contract at the Bernabeu, they’d still likely look for compensation in the £150 million range, at a minimum.

Essentially, this would be one of the most astronomically expensive deals in the history of football, and Arsenal will need to look for inventive accounting methods to make it happen.

Arsenal Need to Sell Gabriel Martinelli to Fund Vinicius Junior Move

One way of making a deal for Vinicius more likely is by shifting players currently in Arteta’s squad. Leandro Trossard has already left the North London club, while Gabriel Martinelli is another who could make way.

Martinelli has already been linked with an Arsenal exit, with the likes of Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich cited as potential suitors. The calibre of clubs supposedly interested, combined with his age and relatively impressive pedigree, means that the Gunners should be able to command in excess of £50 million for the 25-year-old.

The Brazilian will need to be sacrificed if Arsenal are to sign Vinicius. Not only would his services become redundant with the Real Madrid star an option at the Emirates, but he’s also one of the only saleable assets currently plying their trade in N5.

According to Capology, Martinelli, described as “unstoppable”, is currently on a lucrative £180,000-a-week contract at Arsenal. He only has a year left on this deal, exacerbating the need to sell him, and while this wouldn’t save the sort of money that would fund a move for Vinicius, every little helps.

The Gunners need to raise funds for the total investment in the superstar winger, and sanctioning Martinelli’s departure would be a good first step. The 24-year-old has developed cult hero status in North London for playing an ever-present role in Arteta’s evolving project, and contributing to last season’s Premier League title win, so letting him go will be a difficult decision for Arsenal supporters to take, from a sentimental perspective. However, it’s a necessary move if they want to make this sensational statement signing.

Another ploy that could help them is selling Vinicius and Martinelli’s compatriot, Gabriel Jesus. The former Manchester City striker may not garner much of a fee at this stage of his career, but he’s Arsenal’s third-highest earner on £280,00-a-week.

With Trossard, Jesus and Martinelli’s salaries off the wage bill, a move for Vinicius might just become economically viable.

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha is poised to join a surprise club and sign a ‘huge’ deal after his World Cup heroics this summer put him on the footballing map. Despite having turned 40 before this summer’s showpiece tournament, the shot-stopper proved he had what it takes to perform at the highest level.

Vozinha attracted significant international attention and acclaim for his performances against Spain and Argentina, including keeping a clean sheet against eventual champions Spain. In that particular match, he was faced with 27 shots, with 16 inside the box, but he ultimately proved immovable.

His nation was the surprise package of the tournament. As the smallest country by land area and the second-least-populated country to ever qualify for the World Cup, Cape Verde managed to reach the Round of 32 without losing in normal time in any of their five matches, eventually being knocked ou by Lionel Messi and co. in extra-time.

Vozinha Set For Huge Deal With New Club After World Cup Heroics

Bernadett Szabo via Reuters

While European clubs have been skeptical of signing Vozinha because of his age, that hasn’t stopped Chilean topflight side Colo Colo from taking a punt with him, having announced this week that they had secured his signature.

Before the World Cup, he was earning just £7,500 a month while playing in Portugal’s second-tier for Chaves. Now, his salary will be more than doubled, with his new wage of £18,700 seeing him take home nearly 225,000 every year, having completed a transfer after becoming a free agent.

According to La Cuarta, the shot-stopper is set to fly to Chile between Monday and Tuesday, where he will undergo medical examinations and be presented to his new fanbase.

It is the biggest move of his career as he joins the 34-time league champions, though he did appear 116 times for AEL Limassol between 2017 and 2022, which helped Vozinha compete in UEFA competitions such as the Europa League.

Vozinha’s Value Soared During World Cup

Vozinha, whose full name is Josimar Jose Evora Dias, has also become a social media star this summer. With the help from Brazilian influencer Casimiro, the goalkeeper’s Instagram following has soared from 50,000 to nearly 30 million, which shows he has benefitted from more than just his transfer from the tournament.

He regularly appears in interviews, and is loved worldwide because of his World Cup heroics. It is unknown how much extra money he’s making because of his content, but he’s undoubtedly making the most of his new-found fame.

Newcastle United are reportedly plotting a move for a new right-back as they look to replace Kieran Trippier.

The Magpies hero left St James’ Park at the end of last season and his versatility will be a huge miss. Tino Livramento had looked set to follow Trippier out of the club when Arsenal and Manchester City showed interest in him before the transfer window opened.

Livramento suffered a calf injury on the eve of England’s World Cup opener against Croatia and underwent a minor surgical procedure. His future is unclear but it doesn’t appear that clubs are keen on signing him while he’s on the sidelines.

Newcastle Keen on Rayo’s Ratiu

Newcastle are still exploring the market for a new right-back and they have reportedly set their sights on a La Liga star. Matteo Moretto of Marca reports that the Tyneside outfit are interested in Rayo Vallecano’s Andrei Ratiu.

The Romanian, described as ‘one of the best defenders in La Liga’, caught the eye in a Rayo team that finished eighth in the Spanish top flight and made it to the UEFA Conference League final before losing to Crystal Palace. He made 50 appearances across competitions, posting one goal and four assists.

Eddie Howe has endured a frustrating summer thus far as his top targets have headed elsewhere. If his transfer chiefs decide to move for the 28-year-old, they could face competition from Nottingham Forest.

While there’s no word on how much Rayo want for the Romania international, he still has four years left on his contract. He is an attacking full-back who is also defensively sound in one-on-one situations.

Newcastle Should Focus on Williams

via Reuters

Ratiu isn’t the only right-back linked with Newcastle as they are reportedly also in the mix to sign Forest’s Neco Williams. Ironically, the Tricky Trees could turn to Ratiu if the Welshman were to depart.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are also keeping tabs on Williams, which might prove problematic for the Magpies. But if he comes down to a choice between the pair over whom Howe’s bosses should swoop for, he’s undoubtedly the better pick.

Williams enjoyed a superb past season, winning Forest’s Player of the Year award. He made 37 league appearances, scoring two goals and providing three assists.

While the Welsh star might be more expensive, he possesses Premier League experience and is coming off his best-ever campaign. He’d be a fantastic addition to Howe’s squad which needs players of such quality.