Arsenal assistant coach Miguel Molina has confirmed the club's summer pursuit of Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior, while Kai Havertz is set to return to the club for assessment after picking up an injury on international duty.
Seventeen Arsenal players were called up by their national teams for the current international break. Captain Martin Odegaard notched two assists for Norway, while Christos Tzolis scored for Greece. A large Gunners contingent will face off as World Cup winners Spain take on England, but Mikel Arteta's priority is for his players to return fit for the Premier League clash with Leeds United on October 10.
The Premier League champions started the 2026/27 campaign with seven straight wins across the Community Shield, league, Champions League and Carabao Cup, before that run ended with a 3-0 defeat at Brighton.
Vinicius Junior transfer pursuit confirmed
Molina, who joined Arteta's backroom staff in August 2020, confirmed Arsenal's summer interest in Vinicius Junior. In late July, the north Londoners emerged as a serious potential destination for the 26-year-old, who had a year left on his contract and was widely claimed to have hit a wall in negotiations over a new deal with Real Madrid.
Arsenal reportedly agreed personal terms in a deal which would have made Vinicius their highest-paid player by some distance. However, Real Madrid performed a sudden U-turn and offered the Brazilian an improved contract extension until 2032, ending Arsenal's hopes.
Speaking on Radio Marca's La Tribu, Molina said: "Yes, of course. Obviously, I can't stray from the facts, but he [Vinícius] was a name that was on the table, yes." The Brazilian has gone nearly a month without finding the net since deciding to remain at the Bernabeu.
Kai Havertz injury latest
Havertz will return to Arsenal and undergo an assessment after suffering an injury during Germany's first Nations League fixture against the Netherlands. The 27-year-old striker was forced to come off in the first half of the 1-1 draw on Thursday evening.
His international break is over due to the suspected hamstring injury, which came as a result of a challenge by Arsenal team-mate Jurrien Timber's twin brother, Quinten. However, The Athletic reports that there is optimism regarding Arteta's star striker, with the early belief being that his injury is not serious.
Havertz has started the season as Arteta's first-choice striker over Viktor Gyokeres. He is set to return to N5 for assessment and recovery after missing much of last season.
