Arsenal latest: Gunners track £40m-rated Brazilian and Vinicius Jr hails team-mate

Arsenal are reportedly tracking a £40m-rated Brazil international

Arsenal will have to wait until Leeds United visit the Emirates Stadium on October 10 for the chance to bounce back from their first defeat of the season.

The international break has left Mikel Arteta with plenty of time to assess the 3-0 loss at Brighton, while much of his squad is away on national team duty. That result brought a run of seven successive wins across all competitions to an abrupt end. Prior to the Amex defeat, the Gunners had enjoyed a strong start to their 2026/27 campaign as reigning Premier League champions.

With 17 players called up by their countries, Arteta's immediate concern will be the condition of his squad ahead of the return to club football. Kai Havertz has already withdrawn from Germany's squad with a minor muscle problem, and the Arsenal manager will be hoping to avoid any further fitness concerns before facing Leeds.

There is also plenty of interest in Arsenal's Brazilian connections during the break, with a reported midfield target praising Bruno Guimaraes and Vinicius Junior thanking the Gunners star for his support. Here are two of the latest stories.

FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

Arsenal track £40m-rated Brazilian

Arsenal could be set to recruit another Brazilian, according to a report. TEAMtalk claims the north Londoners are keen on signing 21-year-old Corinthians midfielder Breno Bidon, having first made contact regarding a potential deal in January.

The £40million-rated youngster earned his first senior cap for Brazil this week, lining up alongside his idol Guimaraes. Rather than addressing his growing links to Arsenal, the young midfielder chose instead to express his admiration for the Gunners' star.

Bidon told Gazeta Esportiva: "From the current generation, Bruno Guimaraes is someone I follow a lot. He had a very good World Cup and managed to stand out.

"He is someone who has already experienced a lot in football. He started young in Brazil, and he's someone I really look up to.

"From what I've seen while being around him, he has a very good and winning mentality. And on the pitch, I don't even need to say anything. He's been playing really well."

While Arsenal are yet to table a formal offer for Bidon, they reportedly requested to be kept informed of any developments earlier this year. Whether the Gunners ultimately make their move is said to hinge on Martin Zubimendi's future, given the Spaniard's lesser role in Arteta's plans since the latter stages of last season and the possibility of his departure.

Vinicius Junior hails team-mate

Vinicius Junior has expressed gratitude to Arsenal's Bruno Guimaraes for allowing him to take Brazil's 80th-minute penalty during the 4-2 victory over Australia. With the score at 3-2, Brazil were awarded a late spot-kick in Tuesday's friendly.

With penalty taker Raphinha substituted, Guimaraes was next in line to take it. However, the Gunners' summer signing stepped aside for Vinicius, who had been short of goals and was looking for a confidence boost.

The Real Madrid forward, who had been strongly linked with a switch to Arsenal during the summer before signing a new deal with Los Blancos, thanked Guimaraes for the gesture following the final whistle.

The winger said: "Bruno Guimaraes is our penalty taker when Raphinha isn't playing, and I thought he'd want to take it, but he knows that I need a bit of confidence right now, in this moment. My teammates know I need some confidence now. Losing a World Cup is hard and difficult to accept, and the comeback is never easy."

Guimaraes also stressed the squad's collective spirit afterwards. "That was the reason [the penalty gave Vini confidence]," he explained.

"After the penalty incident, many things came to light. But here in the national team, we have no vanity whatsoever.

"In the World Cup, [manager Carlo] Ancelotti told me to take the penalty. Today, he told Vini to take it. Vini really needed to score a goal. He took it very well. We have no vanity whatsoever. We want what's best for Brazil. We're happy for him and it's about continuing the work."