Arsenal pursued a deal for Vinicius Junior for several months and were confident they could add the Brazilian to their squad after he failed to agree a new contract with Real Madrid.He was entering the final year of his contract, and the Gunners hoped he would not sign a new deal and would instead choose to join their project. Arsenal had also been prepared to pay a huge fee for his signature, making the potential transfer one of the biggest in Premier League history.Vinicius is one of the world’s biggest players, and his move to Arsenal could have been a historic Premier League transfer. However, the deal did not happen, and the Brazilian ultimately remained at Real Madrid.Arsenal knew the outcomeThe outcome should not surprise Arsenal, according to analyst Mick Brown. He believes the Gunners knew Vinicius was unlikely to join them and simply enjoyed the attention surrounding their interest in his signature while the speculation continued for several weeks.Brown believes the player and his agent used Arsenal’s interest to strengthen their position in negotiations with Real Madrid. The interest from the Gunners helped put pressure on the Spanish club to improve the offer they had placed on the table.Real Madrid keep their starAs quoted by Football Insider, Brown said: “The player and his agent used the interest from Arsenal to get a bumper new deal at Real Madrid and put pressure on them to increase the offer that was on the table.“From an Arsenal point of view, they knew what was happening, they knew they were never likely to sign Vinicius Junior, but it was a good PR opportunity for them.“Ultimately, everybody wins. The players gets a big new deal, Real Madrid keep their star man, and Arsenal get a public show of their ambitions and it keeps the fans happy.”Brown’s assessment suggests Arsenal benefited from being publicly linked with a player of Vinicius’ stature, even though they did not secure his signature. Real Madrid retained their star player, while Vinicius secured a new deal.For Arsenal, the situation also allowed the club to demonstrate its ambition to supporters. Although the Brazilian did not move to north London, Brown believes the Gunners gained from the prolonged speculation surrounding their interest in one of the world’s leading players._____________________________________________________________________________________________ADMIN COMMENTSo here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…More Stories / Latest NewsDid Arsenal really think they could sign Vinicius Junior this summer?11 August 2026, 12:00What Liverpool thinks about Arsenal signing Barcola ahead of them11 August 2026, 10:30Maresca says Man City player did the right thing turning down Arsenal11 August 2026, 9:00The post Did Arsenal really think they could sign Vinicius Junior this summer? appeared first on Just Arsenal News.