The new Alexis: Arsenal in talks to sign £43m Vini Jr alternative

Arsenal were ridiculed for years, underperformers, nearly-men, but now, Mikel Arteta has recreated the Emirates as a European superpower.

Last year, Arsenal confidently won the Premier League, always a step ahead of rivals Manchester City. They came within a whisker of securing a maiden Champions League, defeated on penalties by back-to-back champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Arteta has earned his flowers, but he’s certainly not content. He wants more, and the Gunners’ insatiable appetite for superstar signings this summer is evidence of that.

The very fact that Arsenal are in the running for Real Madrid sensation Vinicius Junior is an illustration of how far the Londoners have come.

Why Vinicius Junior is keen to sign for Arsenal

Let’s get one thing straight. Vinicius Junior’s priority is renewing his vows with Real Madrid and continuing for the Spanish superpower. His contract is one year away from expiry, and a breakthrough has not been found.

But now, The Athletic report that he is interested in the idea of joining Arsenal, should efforts to extend his time in the Spanish capital fall flat. It’s worth considering that it has been a year and a half since Vini Jr. opened talks with his club for a new deal. A resolution still isn’t in sight, though we are now entering the critical phase.

This would be a marquee signing to end all marquee signings in north London. It would send shivers across the Premier League in a fashion that scant few transfers ever have. It would eclipse the impact of Paul Pogba to Manchester United, and the return of an ageing Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford in 2021.

He’s a phenomenon, and the fact that Vini is open to a reduced contract with Los Blancos suggests that Arsenal could strike a deal for a comparatively affordable fee, shedding some of his £350k-per-week wages besides.

Not since the days of Alexis Sanchez have Arsenal enjoyed such a world-class left winger. However, Arsenal would be wise not to put all their eggs in one basket here, and in fairness, they have a shrewd alternative lined up.

Arsenal in talks to sign Vinicius Junior alternative

Arsenal have waved goodbye to Leandro Trossard and his many clutch moments this summer, selling the experienced Belgian to Besiktas. Christos Tzolis has been drafted in from Club Brugge as his replacement, bringing a prolific touch.

However, he alone can’t bring what Vinicius Junior would bring to the table, and with that in mind, there might be something in reports that Arsenal are looking to challenge Paris Saint-Germain for Barcelona forward Ferran Torres this summer.

That’s according to Spanish sources, who claim that Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have made recent enquiries concerning the forward, who scored the winning goal as Spain won the World Cup in July.

Valued at €50m (£43m), Torres is out of contract next year, and as Barca continue to try and convince him to extend his stay, they have also made it clear that he will not be allowed to leave on a free next summer, so Arsenal could strike a bargain of a deal here.

Should Arteta’s grand plan to lure Vini Jr. over to the Emirates fail, Torres would be an astute alternative. Scoring goals is his forte, and though he has been wasteful in front of the net at times, the 26-year-old has bagged 65 goals and provided 23 assists across just 207 appearances in Catalonia, often used in a utility capacity.

Former Manchester City star Torres hardly has as many tools in his locker as someone like Vinicius Junior, but he scored 16 goals across only 23 La Liga starts last season, and could bring an edge that the Gunners have not seen since the days of Sanchez storming through Premier League defences.

The Chilean was a monstrous attacking force. At his peak, he was as good as any wide forward ever has been in the Premier League. Arsene Wenger hailed him as a “remarkable” player, one of a kind.

Torres might not be quite as potent, but he has matured in the years since leaving City and signing for La Blaugrana in a £47m deal. There is a reason that PSG view him as the perfect auxilary piece to complete their attacking set, and Arsenal could do a lot worse than hijacking the move in the event of Vini Junior’s renewal at Real Madrid.

His dynamism would be invaluable for this Arsenal side, and maybe, as happened with Sanchez when he made the pilgrimage toward an enticing Arsenal project, he could bloom into an even bigger star, someone ready to take responsibility for a leading Premier League outfit.