Former Super Eagles captain and Chelsea midfielder, John Mikel Obi, has taken a swipe at Arsenal following the Premier League champions’ unsuccessful attempt to sign Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior.
Mikel questioned why the Brazil international would consider leaving Real Madrid for Arsenal, arguing that the Spanish giants’ history, pedigree and status made the proposed transfer difficult to understand.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, the former midfielder said Arsenal supporters were the only ones who genuinely expected the deal to happen.
“I just think it was only the Arsenal fans that believed that was going to happen. I don’t know what they were smoking,” Mikel said.
He pointed to Real Madrid’s remarkable record and Vinicius’ importance to the club, noting that the winger is already one of the Spanish side’s leading stars.
“This guy has been around Madrid, a team that has won the Champions League 15 times, won La Liga so many times. The most successful football club in the world.
“One of the best players in the club, one of the marquee names of the football club. He’s going to leave all that and come to Arsenal?
“A team that has won one Premier League title for such a long time. A team that hasn’t been successful in recent years. Why will he do that? Why will he do that?” he added.
Mikel’s remarks came after Arsenal reportedly made an ambitious move for Vinicius during the summer transfer window.
The Gunners were believed to have held extensive discussions with the player and his representatives and were reportedly confident of completing the high-profile transfer.
However, Vinicius ultimately opted to remain at Real Madrid after reaching an agreement with the club on a new six-year contract that will keep him at the Santiago Bernabeu until June 2032.
Mikel ended his criticism of Arsenal’s transfer business with another sarcastic remark about the club’s reported interest in Morgan Rogers.
“They wanted Morgan Rogers.”
