Lee Dixon Sees Arsenal Missing Out on Vinicius Junior as a Positive Move

Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon thinks that Vinicius Junior leveraged Arsenal's interest to secure a better deal with Real Madrid. The Brazilian winger recently signed a lucrative contract to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu, turning down a potential move to north London.

Player’s Camp Played the Negotiation

Speaking to BestBettingSites, Dixon expressed doubts about the likelihood of Vinicius joining Arsenal. He believes the player’s representatives used genuine interest from the Premier League club to negotiate improved terms in Spain.

"Funny that, isn't it? Yeah, I think Vinicius’ team were playing the game. I don’t think Arsenal not getting him hurts us, and I actually think it did the club a lot of good to throw their hat in the ring because it shows real intent," Dixon said. "Whether it was a completely serious pursuit or not, it’s a very complicated transfer to pull off."

Dixon added that Arsenal showing interest sent a message to rival clubs like Manchester City and Manchester United. It made them realize Arsenal is aiming high, which could push others to raise their standards too. Missing out on Vinicius has not weakened Arsenal in his opinion.

Dixon Supports Christos Tzolis for Left Wing Role

Turning to Arsenal’s current options on the left wing, Dixon highlighted new signing Christos Tzolis as an exciting prospect. He thinks Tzolis offers more than Leandro Trossard, who has been a squad player alongside Gabriel Martinelli.

"I've always said about that left-wing position – even before they won the league – I don’t think you win the Premier League with Leandro Trossard as your starting left winger. Last season he played some important games and scored crucial goals, but it’s been more of a rotation with Martinelli," Dixon explained. "But the player who stands out for me is Tzolis. I really like this kid. I think he’s that next level up from Trossard. Martinelli is a bit off-the-cuff – you don’t always know what you’re going to get. So I think we should give Tzolis some freedom and see how he goes in the first six or seven games. Other than that, bring Ryan Giggs back, he wasn’t bad (laughs)!"

Upcoming Fixtures and Season Preparations

Arsenal now shift attention to pre-season matches. They will face Italian club Como in a friendly on 12 August before meeting Manchester City in the Community Shield the following Sunday.

Vinicius Junior and Real Madrid are also preparing for the new campaign under coach Jose Mourinho. Their pre-season includes friendlies against Deportivo La Coruna and Schalke ahead of their La Liga opener against Espanyol on 22 August.

• Club: Arsenal
• Fixture: Friendly vs Como
• Date: 12 Aug 2026
• Kickoff: 20:30

• Club: Real Madrid
• Fixture: Friendly vs Deportivo de A Coruna
• Date: 12 Aug 2026
• Kickoff: 21:00