Vinicius Junior has thanked Arsenal midfielder Bruno Guimaraes for allowing him to take Brazil's 80th-minute penalty in their 4-2 friendly win over Australia, while the Gunners are reportedly pursuing Corinthians' £40m-rated Breno Bidon.
The international break followed Arsenal's first defeat of the season, a 3-0 loss to Brighton after a run of away games. Mikel Arteta's side had won seven consecutive matches across all competitions before that, building on last term's Premier League title success. Seventeen Arsenal players were called up for international duty, and Arteta will hope they return without injuries ahead of Leeds United's visit to the Emirates Stadium on October 10. Kai Havertz has already returned home from Germany's camp with a minor muscle strain.
Vinicius Junior's gratitude
With Brazil leading 3-2 against Australia, the team were awarded a late penalty. Raphinha, the usual taker, was off the pitch, leaving Guimaraes next in line. However, recognising Vinicius's recent goal drought and need for confidence, the Arsenal summer signing passed the responsibility to him. Vinicius scored and later thanked Guimaraes.
Vinicius said: "Bruno Guimaraes is our penalty taker when Raphinha isn't playing, and I thought he'd want to take it, but he knows that I need a bit of confidence right now, in this moment. My teammates know I need some confidence now. Losing a World Cup is hard and difficult to accept, and the comeback is never easy."
Guimaraes confirmed the gesture, emphasising squad unity. "That was the reason [the penalty gave Vini confidence]," he said. "After the penalty incident, many things came to light. But here in the national team, we have no vanity whatsoever. In the World Cup, [manager Carlo] Ancelotti told me to take the penalty. Today, he told Vini to take it. Vini really needed to score a goal. He took it very well. We have no vanity whatsoever. We want what's best for Brazil. We're happy for him and it's about continuing the work."
Arsenal's interest in Breno Bidon
TEAMtalk reports Arsenal are interested in 21-year-old Corinthians midfielder Breno Bidon, having first made contact in January. The £40m-rated youngster earned his first senior Brazil cap this week, playing alongside Guimaraes, whom he admires.
Bidon told Gazeta Esportiva: "From the current generation, Bruno Guimaraes is someone I follow a lot. He had a very good World Cup and managed to stand out. He is someone who has already experienced a lot in football. He started young in Brazil and he's someone I really look up to. From what I've seen while being around him, he has a very good and winning mentality. And on the pitch, I don't even need to say anything. He's been playing really well."
Arsenal have not launched an official bid for Bidon but reportedly asked to be kept informed of developments earlier this year. Whether they make a move depends on Martin Zubimendi's future, with the Spaniard having slid down Arteta's pecking order since the back end of last season and potentially exiting.
