Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has mocked Arsenal fans for believing Vinicius Junior would leave Real Madrid for the Gunners, saying the Brazilian forward simply used their interest to secure a bigger contract in Madrid.
Arsenal targeted the 26-year-old while he was locked in 18 months of contract talks with Real Madrid, and were reportedly prepared to make him the highest-paid player in Premier League history had he agreed to move to the Emirates. Manager Mikel Arteta said he was "absolutely smitten" with the idea after the prospective deal was approved "at all levels" at the club.
Vinicius Junior ultimately signed a new six-year deal at the Bernabeu, ending the contract saga. The deal reportedly makes him the second-highest earner at Real Madrid, ahead of Jude Bellingham and captain Federico Valverde, and behind only Kylian Mbappe.
Mikel's verdict on Arsenal's failed pursuit
Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, Mikel said Arsenal fans should not have expected the move given the club's recent history. "Of course, mate. F***ing hell. I don't know what the Arsenal fans were expecting," he said.
"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 added. "They've just been humbled because I said it: there's no way Vinicius Junior is leaving Real Madrid to go to Arsenal, a club that's won one title in 22 years."
Mikel said Vinicius wanted to keep competing for the Champions League and La Liga at Real Madrid under manager Jose Mourinho. "He's tasted what it feels like winning the Champions League, Arsenal have never won the Champions League. Zero," he said. "They look to me like a team that at the end of the season, you probably see them in the Champions League final."
'He was using you guys'
Mikel said Arsenal supporters had messaged him after he first questioned the move, threatening to "come on here and destroy you" if it went through. "I was looking at it and thinking that's just my opinion. I never thought he was going to leave," he said.
He added that Vinicius had used Arsenal's interest as leverage. "He was using you guys [Arsenal] to get a better deal, he was using them to get a better deal," Mikel said. "I have no idea why Arsenal fans would genuinely believe that Vinicius Junior was going to go from Real Madrid to Arsenal. If you ask anybody... I think it was only Arsenal fans who believed that was going to happen. I don't know what they were smoking."
Arsenal's summer transfer business
Following last season's Premier League title win, Arsenal have strengthened Arteta's squad with the £75million signing of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle, along with Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge and Illan Meslier from Leeds. Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz and Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola are reportedly still on Arsenal's wishlist, though Barcola is also wanted by Liverpool.
