John Obi Mikel questions Arsenal’s belief they could sign Vinicius Junior

John Obi Mikel has mocked Arsenal supporters who believed Vinicius Junior could leave Real Madrid to join the Gunners in a major transfer.

The former Chelsea midfielder said he believed the Brazil forward had used Arsenal’s reported interest to secure a more lucrative new contract at Real Madrid.

Speaking on The ObiOne Podcast, Mikel argued that Arsenal fans had become overconfident after their recent success.

“I know what Arsenal fans were expecting. You know, you win the league after 22 or 23 years and suddenly you think you have arrived. No, you haven’t,” he said.

Mikel then claimed Arsenal had been “badly beaten” by Vinicius, insisting the player had no reason to leave Real Madrid for a club with a much smaller record of success in the Premier League and Europe.

“There is no way Vinicius Junior is leaving Real Madrid to join Arsenal, a club that has won only one league title in 22 or 23 years,” he said.

“This man wins trophies season after season. He has tasted Champions League success, something Arsenal have never achieved.”

Mikel added: “Do you expect a player who has won the Champions League with Real Madrid to leave all of that, everything he has built and the team that Jose Mourinho will lead, to join a team that has won only one league title in 20 years? Wow!”

The former Nigeria international said Arsenal supporters had criticised him when he previously expressed doubts about the possibility of Vinicius moving to north London.

“When I said that, all the Arsenal fans attacked me, saying they would show me when Vinicius joined them. But that was my opinion; I never thought he would leave Madrid,” Mikel said.

“I think he was using you to get a better deal in Madrid. He was using them. I have no idea why Arsenal fans genuinely believed Vinicius Junior would leave Real Madrid and go to Arsenal.”

He later added sarcastically: “I don’t know what they were smoking.”

Vinicius has since signed a new six-year contract with Real Madrid, with higher wages than under his previous agreement.

The Spanish club hopes the forward will produce his best form under Jose Mourinho this season. Vinicius has established himself as one of Real Madrid’s key attacking players, while the club remains committed to keeping him at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Arsenal, meanwhile, must turn their attention to alternative targets. Reports have linked them with Chelsea winger Pedro Neto, along with other players who operate in wide attacking positions.

Mikel spent 11 years with Chelsea and regularly criticises Arsenal and their style of play, reflecting the fierce rivalry between the two London clubs. His comments about Vinicius represent another public intervention in the long-running competition between Chelsea and Arsenal.

The belief that Vinicius could move to Arsenal had centred on the possibility of a high-profile transfer, but his new agreement with Real Madrid has effectively ended those expectations for now.