Arsenal squad back Mikel Arteta to sign £128m star after Bruno Guimaraes transfer

Mikel Arteta is set to bolster his Arsenal squad (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal ’s squad fully expect Mikel Arteta to complete a stunning move for Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior after signing Bruno Guimaraes, according to reports in Spain.

After a subdued start to the summer transfer window in which only Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier moved to the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal are starting to make serious moves in the market.

The Gunners, looking to build a squad capable of retaining the Premier League title and once again challenging for the Champions League , are set to sign Guimaraes from Newcastle United .

Arteta identified the Brazilian as his top midfield target earlier in the summer and his bosses at Arsenal have finally made a breakthrough with Newcastle , who were initially reluctant to sell.

While thrashing out a deal with Newcastle, Arsenal have also expressed interest in an audacious move for Real Madrid and Brazil icon Vinicius .

Vinicius has been in a contract dispute with Real and, given he is set to enter the final year of his current deal, could be sold this summer in order to avoid losing him for nothing in 12 months’ time.

The Arsenal board has sanctioned a big-money move for the 26-year-old , who is valued at 150m euros (£128m) by Madrid and earns just under £300-a-week.

Real Madrid star and Arsenal target Vinicius Junior (Picture: Getty)

Arteta has also reportedly assured Vinicius of his desire to welcome him to north London and set out his ambitions in the hope the Brazilian will end his successful stint at the Bernabeu.

Vinicius’ preference is believed to be to stay in Madrid but the Arsenal squad are convinced he will be joining the Premier League champions, according to AS .

It is claimed Arsenal’s dressing room already consider Vinicius’ arrival as a ‘done deal’ and have mentioned the player in talks with sporting director Andrea Berta.

Incoming Arsenal signing Bruno Guimaraes (Picture: Getty)

While there is confidence inside Arsenal that Vinicius will join, Jamie Carragher has played down the chances of the transfer actually materialising .

‘I think the Vinicius Junior thing is really interesting in that I do think they need something like that to win the Champions League ,’ he said on the Football Ramble podcast .

‘Obviously you’ve proven you can win the league but I just can’t see Arsenal winning it [the Champions League] because those players… think of the teams that win the Champions League, think of the guy up front or the winger, it’s top-five players in the world.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DZgBlpFn67N/?hl=en&img_index=1

‘But is Arteta almost giving up something that he loves in terms of these wingers just permanently running back and helping the full-back, being in this block on the edge of of their box… saying, “I’ve actually got to roll the dice here… OK, I’ve got to lose a bit of that to gain a bit of that”, and then there’s still no guarantee.

‘I’d love to see it. I think we lack top players in the Premier League right now, I do.

‘What really hit home was at the World Cup , at the semi-final stage, so it was France, Spain, England and Argentina, the four best teams in the world, but I don’t think there was an attacker who played in the Premier League.

‘That’s besides, I think, Morgan Rogers who only got in that game [because of fitness concerns in the squad]. When England are playing their best team, Rogers is probably not in it.

‘So you’re looking at it and thinking: Anthony Gordon has left, Jude Bellingham is in Spain, Harry Kane is in Germany. Out of all the attacking players no one is in the Premier League.

‘For us to get somebody I think would be amazing. I just can’t see it happening. He’s surely doing it to get a new contract at Real Madrid.’

Vinicius has scored 128 goals in 376 appearances at Madrid, winning three La Liga titles and the Champions League twice.