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Lee Dixon Sees Arsenal Missing Out on Vinicius Junior as a Strategic Win

Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon thinks that the buzz around Vinicius Junior joining the Gunners was actually used by the Real Madrid star to negotiate a fresh contract at the Santiago Bernabeu. Despite Arsenal missing out on the Brazilian forward, Dixon feels the situation benefits the club by sending a strong message to rivals in the Premier League.

Vinicius Chooses Madrid Over Arsenal

Rumors swirled linking Arsenal with a move for the Real Madrid winger, but the Brazil international chose to stay in Spain, signing a lucrative new contract. Dixon doesn’t believe the whole saga was accidental or straightforward.

Player's Camp Played Their Cards

Talking to BestBettingSites, Dixon shared his doubts about the transfer ever truly happening. He suspects Vinicius’ representatives used Arsenal’s genuine interest to push for better terms at 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.

He added that even if the pursuit wasn’t fully serious, showing that level of interest was positive. It caught the attention of other big Premier League clubs like Manchester City and Manchester United, signaling Arsenal’s ambition and making them rethink their own plans.

"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."

Dixon Praises New Signing Christos Tzolis for Left Wing Role

Looking at Arsenal’s options out wide, Dixon highlighted the promise of Christos Tzolis, who recently joined the club. He believes Tzolis could bring more quality and sharpen the Gunners' attack.

"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."
"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 Matches for Arsenal and Real Madrid

With the transfer window quiet on the Vinicius front, Arsenal now shift focus to their pre-season fixtures. They will face Como in a friendly match on August 12 before hosting Manchester City in the Community Shield clash on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Vinicius will prepare with Real Madrid under coach Jose Mourinho. The Spanish giants have scheduled friendlies against Deportivo La Coruna and Schalke as part of their build-up to the La Liga season opener against Espanyol on August 22.

  • Club: Arsenal vs Como
  • Date: 12 Aug 2026
  • Time: 20:30
  • Club: Real Madrid vs Deportivo de A Coruna
  • Date: 12 Aug 2026
  • Time: 21:00

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