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Arsenal’s ambitious attempt to sign Vinícius Júnior proved fruitless, so we’ve found some alternative left-wing targets for the Premier League champions.
It was probably the best example this summer of ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get’. Arsenal asked, they ultimately didn’t get, but what an exciting few days it was.
Vinícius Júnior was seemingly contemplating an exit from Real Madrid, with contract talks supposedly at an impasse, and Arsenal were ready to pounce.
The Brazilian is undeniably one of the best wingers on the planet, and while it would have taken a lot of money to bring him to the Premier League, Arsenal were reportedly willing to do so after missing out on their initial target of Morgan Rogers earlier this summer.
However, Vinícius eventually signed a new deal with Madrid, and the Gunners must now look elsewhere if they are to strengthen the left side of their attack heading into their Premier League title defence.
Christos Tzolis has arrived from Club Brugge as a replacement for the outgoing Leandro Trossard, but it would be ambitious to think the former Norwich City man can lock that position down in his first year back in England. And while it may seem a little harsh for a player who has produced plenty of big moments at Arsenal, Gabriel Martinelli doesn’t seem to have the full faith of the fans or his manager.
With Rogers heading to Chelsea, Vinícius staying in Spain, and another reported target Bradley Barcola seemingly favouring a move to Liverpool, their options could be limited. But using Opta data, we’ve tried to find some alternative targets for Arsenal who could strengthen their left side ahead of the new season.
Kenan YildizThe Juventus winger has been linked with Arsenal for a while, and now could be an ideal time for the Gunners to make their move for Kenan Yildiz.
The Bianconeri failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League last season and may therefore need to bring in a big fee this summer.
Yildiz was one of the Bianconeri’s standout players in 2025-26, recording 20 goal involvements in 47 games across all competitions (11 goals, 9 assists). He became only the second Juventus player in the last 50 years to score at least five goals in the first 15 games of a Serie A season before turning 21. The other was Yildiz’s boyhood hero, the great Alessandro Del Piero (5 in 1994-95).
He then went on to become the first non-Italian Juve player to reach double figures for goals before turning 21 in a Serie A campaign, and just the seventh player overall to do so for the club, the first since Roberto Bettega way back in 1970-71 (13 goals).
The Turkey international is a dynamic and creative player, as you’d ideally want in a winger. He primarily favours his right foot but is comfortable shooting with his left as well. Yildiz attempted 73 shots with his right foot in Serie A last season, and 23 with his left, often leaving defenders unsure as to which way to show him when he’s running at them.
Yildiz is as much a creator as a goalscorer, though. Of all players in Europe’s top five leagues last season, only Bruno Fernandes (98) and Romano Schmid (77) created more open-play chances than Yildiz (67), while only Vinícius (43) recorded more chance-creating carries than his 37.
Nico Williams
Another name that’s often cropped up in relation to Arsenal, or any team looking for a left winger, is Nico Williams.
He has yet to be convinced to leave his childhood team, Athletic Club, with whom he’s remarkably contracted until June 2035. But Arsenal were able to land Martín Zubimendi last summer despite his previous reluctance to leave the Basque Country.
Williams managed six goals and three assists in 25 La Liga games in 2025-26, though it was a campaign disrupted by injury for the 24-year-old.
He missed the start of the World Cup as a result but came back to make an impact off the bench as Spain eventually won the tournament in North America. Williams even claimed the assist for the goal that won the World Cup, with his neat header finding Ferran Torres to score the only goal of the final against Argentina.
He averaged 8.2 dribbles per 90 last season in La Liga; only Lamine Yamal, Kevin, and Jérémy Doku averaged more in Europe’s top five leagues (min. 1,000 minutes). And he averaged 7.7 touches in the opposition’s penalty box per 90; only 12 wingers averaged more in Europe’s top five leagues.
His reported €90 million release clause is hardly enticing, but it also isn’t so high that it’ll put off potential suitors who think he’s the one to take them to the next level.
Abde Ezzalzouli
Abde Ezzalzouli, otherwise known as ‘Ez Abde’, shone for Real Betis last season.
The former Barcelona player recorded 18 goal involvements in 29 La Liga games (10 goals, 8 assists), a tally bettered by only six players, as he helped Betis to qualify for the Champions League.
Abde agonisingly missed the World Cup through injury, but the Morocco international could well take that frustration into next season and use it as motivation to thrive further on the biggest stages in club football.
The 24-year-old is not on Vinícius’ level, but he does share some similar traits in that he wins plenty of free-kicks – particularly of use to a team so good from set-pieces – and he is also able to progress the ball a long way upfield with his carries.
Just four players won more fouls in La Liga than Abde (71) last season, while only 10 averaged more than his 5.7 long progressive carries per 90 (min. 1,000 minutes), which are carries that move the ball at least 10 metres upfield.
Mika GodtsThis one could be a long shot as it looks like the young Belgian is going to Paris Saint-Germain, potentially as the man to replace Liverpool target Barcola.
This is the summer of the transfer ‘hijack’, though, and PSG are reportedly reluctant to meet Ajax’s asking price. It might also be some form of cathartic revenge for last season’s Champions League final.
Mika Godts is one of the most exciting young wingers in Europe. He has quick feet, likes to take players on, and has plenty of end product despite only turning 21 in June.
Godts recorded 30 goal involvements in the Eredivisie last season (17 goals, 13 assists); only five players in Europe’s top 10 leagues had more.
In addition, only Bruno Fernandes (98) and Arsenal new boy Tzolis (81) created more open-play chances than Godts (80) in Europe’s top 10 leagues, while just Lamine Yamal (133) and Yan Diomande (118) completed more dribbles than his 87.
Arguably most notably, only Tzolis (44) recorded more chance-creating carries than Godts (43), who matched Vinícius’ total in two fewer games (34-36). Of course, it should be remembered that Tzolis and Godts achieved their numbers in the Belgian Pro League and the Dutch Eredivisie respectively, though.
Iliman NdiayeAlong with Yildiz, Iliman Ndiaye is probably the name that has been most closely linked with Arsenal since it began to look as though Vinícius wasn’t happening.
One possible onion in the ointment is that the Senegal international mostly played on the right for Everton last season, but he is capable of playing on the left, having moved over to that side quite a bit after Jack Grealish’s injury in January.
Ndiaye managed six goals and three assists in 30 Premier League games for Everton last season and was a real bright spark for them.
The former Sheffield United and Marseille winger was a persistent ball carrier, able to get the Toffees up the pitch with regularity.
Only Jérémy Doku (84) completed more dribbles than Ndiaye (73) in the Premier League last season, while he also does his fair share of work off the ball. Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka (27) was the one player to win possession in the opposition’s final third more often than Ndiaye (26) in the Premier League in 2025-26.
Said El MalaLike Godts, this one might be too late as Saïd El Mala is being strongly linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund, but again, you never know in this window.
The 19-year-old scored an impressive 13 goals in 34 Bundesliga games last season for a struggling FC Köln side.
El Mala was linked with Liverpool earlier in the summer before they reportedly turned their attention to Barcola. Given he’s still a teenager and was putting up such impressive numbers in a team who finished 14th in the Bundesliga, it’s easy to see where the hype has come from.
Only Bayern Munich pair Michael Olise (47) and Luis Díaz (41) recorded more shot-ending carries in the Bundesliga last season than El Mala (37), while only Olise (8) managed more goal-ending carries than him (6).
Matias Fernandez-PardoAnother player who might suit if Arsenal are willing to bet on potential rather than the finished article, Matias Fernandez-Pardo had a solid campaign with Lille in 2025-26.
The Belgium international, who was picked ahead of Godts for the World Cup, managed eight goals and five assists in 29 Ligue 1 games last season.
Fernandez-Pardo, 21, is another player who can get the ball upfield with regularity. Only seven players in Ligue 1 recorded more long progressive carries last season (122), while he can also threaten when he does so. He ranked seventh for shot-ending carries (26), while of his 13 chance-creating carries, three led to assists.
You get the impression that Arsenal are looking for someone more proven, though. Someone who can move the needle.
That said, there are two other names who haven’t really been linked and may cause some Gunners fans to laugh at their screen at the mere thought, but what would a list like this be without a couple of cheeky outside shouts?
Outside Shouts: Jack GrealishAfter a productive loan at Everton last season that was cruelly cut short by injury, Jack Grealish is ready for the next chapter of his career. He’s back at Manchester City, but reports suggest it’s likely he’ll be moving elsewhere again this summer.
He turns 31 in September, so would very much be a short-term option, but he showed at Everton last season that he can still produce in the Premier League. Grealish managed two goals and six assists in 20 Premier League appearances for the Toffees, and his 1.99 chances created from open play per 90 was at least twice as much as any other Everton player (min. 1,000 minutes played).
The main reason we’ve opted for him as an outside shout is due to his handy ability to win fouls; only Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri (3.4) won more per 90 in the Premier League (min. 1,000 minutes) than Grealish last season (3.2). Just imagine how many opportunities Arsenal would have to whip free-kicks into the box (well, around three per game if he kept that rate up).
Marcus Rashford
Is this one even wilder than Grealish? That’s for you to decide, but it’s fun nonetheless.
Marcus Rashford had a relatively good loan spell at Barcelona last season, but the Spanish champions ultimately opted to sign his England teammate Anthony Gordon instead.
As a result, the 28-year-old has returned to Manchester United, but it still seems unclear how happy the player and the club are about that.
He managed 14 goals and 11 assists in 49 games in all competitions for the Blaugrana, but it was another stat that stood out for us in terms of how Arsenal could find him useful.
In the league, Rashford took 94 corners for Barcelona last season, only one fewer than Declan Rice in the Premier League (95), and his 23 successful corners into the box (a teammate making first contact) was two more than Rice (21).
Who knows who Arsenal will target next, but in the spirit of their Vinícius pursuit, never say never.
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