French legend Marcel Desailly believes Real Madrid should have sold Vinicius Jr in the summer. He claims that the Brazilian is unable to form a partnership with Kylian Mbappe and the club needs to sign other players.

Speaking on beIN Sports, Desailly said that Real Madrid should have sold Vinicius Jr instead of renewing his deal at the club. The former defender said that Los Blancos need better players who can work with the other top players in the squad and said:

“I think Real Madrid should have let Vinicius leave. They need to look for other players. Once again, we are talking about the partnership between Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius. This partnership has not proven successful. So, in my personal opinion as an analyst, I think it would be better for him to leave, and let’s see whether he would be able to erase all the negative thoughts and opinions directed towards him.” (via GOAL)

Arsenal and Saudi Pro League clubs were keen on signing the Brazilian winger in the summer. However, he opted to stay at the club and renew his deal.

Meanwhile, former Chelsea star Emmanuel Petit claimed that the Brazilian would not have done well at Arsenal. He stated that the winger would have destroyed the harmony at the club and said:

“I think Vinicius Jr is a really talented player. But in terms of his mentality, I am not sure he is a good fit. That’s just my opinion. I see so many humble players at Arsenal. So, if you all of a sudden bring in someone who is completely different, it can be a problem. Especially with Arteta’s style of management. Look at what happened between Vinicius Jr and Jose Mourinho in the last game between Real Betis and Real Madrid.” (via Tribal Football)

Vinicius Jr signed a new deal until 2032 after months of negotiations.

Arsenal wanted to sign Vinicius Jr from Real Madrid

Arsenal were keen on signing Vinicius Jr in the summer, but the Premier League champions could not lure him away. They were willing to break the bank for the Brazilian after failing to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa, as he preferred to join Chelsea.

Vinicius Jr was in the final year of his contract at Real Madrid when he was offered an escape route by Arsenal in the summer. Saudi Pro League sides were also keeping tabs on him since 2023.