After winning the Premier League and reaching a European final, this was the statement acquisition every fan had dreamed of. The Gunners needed an elite forward, and the Brazilian was the chosen name.

Yet, after plenty of hard graft behind the scenes to try and convince the player to become the new face of the Arsenal project, he ultimately decided to stay at Real Madrid.

In truth, that was not much of a surprise. They offer greater riches and they are, of course, the most successful side in Champions League history.

How Arsenal have bounced back from their Vinicius Junior setback

Following a first league crown in over two decades, this was set to be a landmark summer for the north Londoners. It was time for them to really make a statement in the transfer market.

Arguably, they have never had a better opportunity to entice the game's very best players than this summer. Yet, it didn't quite work out how supporters hoped.

While Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli left, Christos Tzolis was the only forward to arrive. He registered jaw-dropping numbers in his final season in Belgium, scoring 22 goals and supplying 29 assists in all competitions.

Yet, he was not the world-class forward fans had been lusting after. Vini Jr was the grand prize but they failed in their endeavours to sign him. They also failed to get proposed deals across the line for Morgan Rogers and Julian Alvarez.

In the grand scheme of things, this was a really poor summer, but Arsenal have bounced back in typical fashion. Until that ghastly 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton last weekend, the English champions had won every single game they had played this season.

They were not just winning 1-0 either, a scoreline made famous throughout their history and particularly last term. In fact, before that defeat at the Amex, the Londoners had scored more than one goal in six of their seven games. That's certainly an improvement on what we saw in 2025/26.

So, world-class forward or not, Arsenal are among the favourites to win the Premier League again. Despite trailing Manchester City by three points after five games, they are still most pundits pick to go on and lift the trophy in consecutive years.

It speaks volumes of their quality elsewhere on the pitch that they are considered so. All that being said, the project could be set to really go to the next level in the forthcoming years.

Arsenal are set to seal their best signature of 2026

Look, signing Vini Jr would have captivated every single Arsenal fan around. He's arguably the best left winger in world football right now. He's a global superstar, a household name. He's the type of signing you make when your primary objective is to win European football's biggest prize.

However, if he doesn't want to join, there isn't an awful lot you can do. The crucial thing after a bit of a messy summer is that Arteta still believes in the project.

Following Pep Guardiola's departure from Manchester City, the Arsenal boss is now the longest-serving manager not just in the Premier League but also across England's top four divisions.

When reeling off reasons for the club's success over the last seven years, there are some key moments. The arrival of Declan Rice for £105m back in the summer of 2023 was a landmark deal, as was the addition of Bruno Guimaraes just over a month ago.

You look at the recruitment in defence and that is another huge reason for the success they have had. From the early days of Arteta's tenure when he picked a centre-back pairing of David Luiz and Sokratis, the difference in the modern day is chalk and cheese. Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba are the best defensive pairing in world football.

That said, there hasn't been a more powerful change at the football club than to make Arteta the manager.

Following in the footsteps of Arsene Wenger was never going to be easy for Unai Emery and when his tenure in N5 came to a horrible end, they needed stability; they needed a calming persona and ideally, they needed someone who knew Arsenal like the back of their hand.

The Kroenkes took a huge gamble by handing Arteta the keys. While he had worked as Guardiola's assistant, he had never managed a team of his own accord.

Well, nearly seven years on and it's one of the best decisions made in modern football. Arsenal have finally won the Premier League again and they are one of the finest sides on the continent. They have Arteta to thank for that.

Unfortunately for the rest of English football, it looks like the Spaniard is only just getting started.

David Ornstein reported on Tuesday evening that the Gunners boss has agreed a new contract with the club. He had entered the final year of his deal at the Emirates but he and the rest of the coaching staff, including the likes of Gabriel Heinze and Nicolas Jover, are all set to pen new terms. All being well, it will take Arteta beyond a decade of service.

While Vini Jr could well have been on the way to Islington over the summer, this is the most important and arguably the most exciting business the ownership group have completed in 2026 to date. After a disappointing summer, this is precisely the type of announcement every fan has craved.

Signing one of the game's biggest icons would have been great but Arteta is the centrepiece; he is the kingpin in this whole operation. Lose him and you sense the club might be back at square one. Keep him and a title-winning dynasty could well be created.