Arsenal’s pursuit of Vinicius Jr feels like a transfer pipe dream – but are Real Madrid forcing Brazilian superstar out with €120m Yan Diomande move?
If Arsenal’s ‘early interest’ does develop into something more tangible, then questions may well be asked of Vinicius’ suitability for the Premier League. There is the perception that his playing style will be far less effective against more physical opponents, albeit there is no doubting his technical ability.
“For me it’s always been inconsistent (his form), and that’s been an issue for me,” Brazilian football expert Jon Cotterill told talkSPORT recently. “I also think perhaps he might not be robust enough for the Premier League, and I’d prefer someone like Julian Alvarez, the Argentine who’s at Atletico Madrid, who’s had Premier League experience as well.
“The clubs are limited who’ve got that kind of price tag, but again for me it’s not only the price. What’s he going to do? How is he going to fit in? Can he fit in around the team they’ve got, and can he fit into the style they’ve got as well? The technical side of things, there’s no question about the skills he’s got. He’s an absolutely fabulous player, but again I think inconsistent.”
For some reason, certain players don’t feel guaranteed to succeed in England’s top-flight regardless of their individual quality, and Vinicius is one of them. However, he will feel his performances in the Champions League have gone some way to disproving that theory; the Brazilian has produced a ridiculous 21 goal contributions in just 26 appearances against the Premier League’s best, including a brace against Man City in last season’s round of 16.
