Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel has ridiculed Arsenal supporters after the club failed to sign Vinicius Junior, questioning what they were 'smoking' to believe a deal was possible. The former Nigeria midfielder, speaking on The Obi One Podcast, insisted the Brazilian was 'using' the Gunners to negotiate a better contract with Real Madrid.
Transfer saga ends with Vinicius committing to Real Madrid
Vinicius Junior emerged as a surprise transfer target for Arsenal following their Premier League title triumph last season. Reports suggested Mikel Arteta was 'absolutely smitten' with the idea of signing the 26-year-old, with a proposed move approved 'at all levels' at the Emirates. The Gunners were reportedly prepared to make Vinicius the highest-paid player in Premier League history.
However, the Brazilian forward ultimately committed his future to Real Madrid, signing a six-year contract extension at the Bernabeu. This forced Arsenal to consider alternative options, with PSG's Bradley Barcola and Juventus' Kenan Yildiz reportedly remaining on their radar as the transfer window enters its final three weeks.
Obi Mikel's blunt assessment of Arsenal's ambitions
Prior to Vinicius signing his extension, Obi Mikel had told Arsenal fans to 'forget' about the 2024 Ballon d'Or runner-up, insisting the attacker was simply using the club to secure a better deal. In the latest episode of his podcast, he couldn't resist reminding supporters of his previous remarks.
'Of course, mate. F***ing hell. I don't know what the Arsenal fans were expecting,' Obi Mikel said. 'You win the league after 22 years and then you all of a sudden think: that's it, you've arrived, you're one of the big boys again. No, you're not.'
He added: 'They've just been humbled because I said it: there's no way Vinicius Junior is leaving Real Madrid to go to Arsenal, a club that's won one title in 22 years. This guy wins titles, he's won lots of titles at Real Madrid. He wants to win titles season after season, the Champions League, La Liga, competing year after year and winning those titles.'
Champions League pedigree a deciding factor
Obi Mikel highlighted Vinicius' Champions League success as a key reason why a move to Arsenal was unrealistic. 'He's tasted what it feels like winning the Champions League, Arsenal have never won the Champions League. Zero,' he said.
'You expect a player who has won the Champions League with Real Madrid to leave that, everything that he's built at Real Madrid, and the squad that Jose Mourinho is assembling right now? They look to me like a team that at the end of the season, you probably see them in the Champions League final.'
The former Chelsea midfielder also questioned Arsenal's appeal to top talents, noting that other players had chosen different clubs. 'They wanted Morgan Rogers, we [Chelsea] got him. So many players that they wanted ended up going somewhere else,' he continued. 'It just shows that not everybody is buying into what they're selling.'
Arsenal fans' reaction and what's next
Obi Mikel revealed he had received direct messages from Arsenal fans who were confident Vinicius would join. 'All the Arsenal fans when I said that before, in my DMs, I saw messages, "We've clipped this, we've sent this video, and when it happens we're absolutely going to come on here and destroy you…"' he said.
'I was looking at it and thinking that's just my opinion. I never thought he was going to leave. He was using you guys [Arsenal] to get a better deal, he was using them to get a better deal. I have no idea why Arsenal fans would genuinely believe that Vinicius Junior was going to go from Real Madrid to Arsenal. If you ask anybody… I think it was only Arsenal fans who believed that was going to happen. I don't know what they were smoking.'
Obi Mikel also suggested Arsenal's style of play under Arteta may have contributed to their transfer struggles. 'The way they played football last season, the way they won the title last season… yes, they crossed the line and yes, they won it. Now they have to defend the title,' he said. 'I don't know they [Arsenal fans] want but the bread and butter for Arsenal next season is defending the Premier League title. I know they want to win the Champions League but they have to defend the Premier League.'
