Former Arsenal star: Failing to sign Vinicius saved us from a real disaster

Has Arsenal lost the deal for the Brazilian?

Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit of France believes Mikel Arteta's side had a lucky escape after failing to sign Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior this summer.

Arsenal were crowned Premier League champions last May for the first time since 2004. Arteta wasted no time in improving his squad.

Bruno Guimaraes, Ezri Konsa and Christos Tzolis all made an immediate impact. Yet Arsenal failed to land a new top-class striker, with Arteta having pointed to the need for a fresh forward following a difficult first season for Viktor Gyokeres.

Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez was linked with the Gunners throughout the window, but his hesitation over a move to the Emirates Stadium ultimately scuppered any chance of a deal.

Signing Vinicius, though, was firmly on the table at one stage. Arsenal felt they were the closest to landing the Brazilian, whose contract renewal negotiations had reached a dead end.

Optimism grew that the deal would get done, before Vinicius eventually put pen to paper on a new contract to stay at the Bernabeu.

Rather than mourn that outcome, Petit, who won the double with Arsenal in the 1997/98 season, reckons Arteta might have struggled to handle a personality like Vinicius.

Speaking to British newspaper "Mirror", Petit said: "I think Vinicius Junior is a hugely talented player, but in terms of his mentality, I'm not sure he's suited to Arsenal. That's just my opinion."

He added: "I see a lot of humble players at Arsenal, so if you suddenly bring in someone completely different, that could be a problem, especially with Arteta's management style."

He continued: "Look at what happened between Vinicius Junior and Jose Mourinho in the Real Betis versus Real Madrid match. It reminded me of what happened with Xabi Alonso last season when he refused to shake his hand."

The 1998 World Cup winner went on: "Vinicius Junior comes in for fierce criticism from the fans, the press and social media, but in those moments he sends the wrong message. I think Arsenal may have escaped a real disaster given that moment."

He continued: "I would have loved to see a player with Vinicius Junior's talent playing for Arsenal, but with his mentality and his ego I think that would have created a very difficult situation to deal with."

Missing out on Alvarez, however, was a heavy blow, according to Petit, who believes the Argentine would have slotted in seamlessly.

"Julian Alvarez is the striker Arsenal need," Petit pointed out. "Why? Because he knows the Premier League well. He's a hugely talented player, with great movement and high technical skills, and he would fit perfectly into Arsenal's current style of play thanks to his one-touch playing style. I really admire him as a player."

He concluded: "But it's clear he wants Barcelona, and if he didn't leave Atletico Madrid in the summer transfer window, do you really think he'll leave that club during the winter transfer window? I'm not sure about that."