Arsenal have failed in their pursuit of Vinicius Junior, who has agreed to a contract extension with Real Madrid, keeping him at the club until 2032. The Gunners' interest was reportedly used as leverage in negotiations, a pattern seen in previous transfer sagas.
Vinicius Junior Stays at Real Madrid
Mikel Arteta's side had made their intentions clear to sign the Brazilian winger, but after contract talks this week, he will remain a Galactico. Speculation suggests Vinicius used Arsenal's approach to secure better terms, though this remains unconfirmed. This is not the first time Arsenal have been left empty-handed after a player chose to stay put.
Karim Benzema's Near Move
In 2014, Arsenal targeted Karim Benzema, with Arsene Wenger seeking an upgrade on Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman, who scored 24 goals in the 2013/14 season, was close to joining, but the deal hinged on Luis Suarez moving to Real Madrid. Suarez's move fell through after his World Cup biting incident, and he joined Barcelona instead.
Speaking to La Mesa, Suarez revealed: "My agent spoke to Real Madrid before the 2014 World Cup. Madrid wanted to sign me and everything was going well. They were thinking of selling Benzema to Arsenal, everything was practically already done." Benzema then signed a five-year extension, making 648 appearances and scoring 354 goals before leaving for Al-Ittihad in 2023.
Jamie Vardy's Rejection
Two years later, Arsenal triggered Jamie Vardy's £20million release clause after he helped Leicester City win the Premier League. Despite the clause, Vardy signed a new four-year deal with Leicester, leaving Arsenal disappointed once again.
Dayot Upamecano's U-Turn
In 2020, Arsenal pursued Dayot Upamecano, who had one year left on his RB Leipzig contract and a £53m release clause. After rejected bids, Upamecano signed an extension that included a £37m clause for the following year, which Bayern Munich activated in 2021.
