Arsenal assistant confirms Vinicius Junior pursuit as Havertz faces hamstring scare

Arsenal’s pursuit of Vinicius Junior this summer was real, Mikel Arteta’s assistant coach Miguel Molina has confirmed, while striker Kai Havertz faces a fitness assessment after limping out of Germany’s 1-1 Nations League draw with the Netherlands on Thursday.

Molina, who has been part of Arteta’s backroom staff since August 2020, appeared as a guest on Radio Marca’s La Tribu during the international break and was asked directly about Arsenal’s reported interest in the Real Madrid winger. “Yes, of course. Obviously, I can’t stray from the facts, but he [Vinícius] was a name that was on the table, yes,” Molina said.

The confirmation adds substance to reports from late July that placed Arsenal as a serious destination for the 26-year-old Brazilian, who had just one year remaining on his contract at the Bernabéu and was said to have stalled in renewal talks with the club. Arsenal reportedly agreed personal terms in a deal that would have made Vinicius their highest-paid player by a significant margin. Those hopes were extinguished when Real Madrid performed a sudden U-turn and handed him an improved extension through to 2032.

On the injury front, Havertz was forced off in the first half of Germany’s draw against the Netherlands with a suspected hamstring problem, the result of a challenge by Quinten Timber — twin brother of Arsenal team-mate Jurrien Timber. The 27-year-old striker’s involvement in the remainder of the international break is over, and he will return to Arsenal for a full assessment. Reports suggest there is optimism over the severity of the injury.

The timing is a concern for Arteta, whose side host Leeds United in the Premier League on October 10. Arsenal began the 2026/27 season with seven consecutive wins across the Community Shield, Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup before suffering a 3-0 defeat at Brighton in their most recent fixture — a result the club will be keen to respond to.

Seventeen Arsenal players were called up for the international break, with captain Martin Odegaard contributing two assists for Norway and Christos Tzolis scoring for Greece among the notable highlights.