Lee Dixon Explains Why Arsenal Missing Out on Vinicius Junior Could Be a Positive

Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon believes that Vinicius Junior leveraged interest from Arsenal to secure a new deal with Real Madrid. Although the Brazil international was linked to a potential move to north London, he chose to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu by signing a lucrative contract extension. Dixon insists this outcome does not harm Arsenal but sends a powerful signal to their Premier League rivals.

Player’s Camp Playing the Negotiation

In an interview with BestBettingSites, Dixon shared his skepticism about the transfer actually happening. He suspects that Vinicius’ representatives used Arsenal’s genuine pursuit as leverage to negotiate better terms with Real Madrid.

"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 demonstrating such interest was beneficial because it showed ambition, even if fans doubted the deal. Other clubs like Manchester City and Manchester United will notice Arsenal’s assertiveness, raising the competitive bar.

"All of a sudden, people at Manchester City and Manchester United see Arsenal throwing their weight around. It gives other teams a bit of a wow moment – they’re thinking big, so we’ve got to step up too. So as a fan or player, missing out on him hasn’t hurt us at all."

Thoughts on Arsenal's Left Wing Options

Dixon also commented on Arsenal’s current options for the left wing, highlighting new signing Christos Tzolis as a promising addition.

"I’ve always said about that left-wing position – even the season before they won the league. I said (and it might have been a bit harsh), I don’t think you win the Premier League with Leandro Trossard as your starting left winger. Having said that, last season he played some really important games and scored some crucial goals. It has become much more of a squad game where he and Gabriel Martinelli have rotated and done really well together."

He went on to praise Tzolis as a step above Trossard and suggested giving the young player more freedom early in the season.

"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 a bit of free rein 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 for Arsenal and Real Madrid

Arsenal now need to turn their attention to upcoming matches as pre-season ramps up. The Gunners will face Como in a friendly on 12 August, followed by a showdown with Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Vinicius Junior and Real Madrid are preparing for their campaign under manager Jose Mourinho. They have pre-season friendlies against Deportivo La Coruna and Schalke before starting La Liga against Espanyol on 22 August.

• Club: Arsenal
• Opponent: Como
• Date: 12 August 2026
• Competition: Club Friendlies
• Club: Real Madrid
• Opponent: Deportivo de A Coruna
• Date: 12 August 2026
• Competition: Club Friendlies