Arsenal could sign Mitoma after missing out on Vinicius

Arsenal's hopes of signing Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. were dashed on Thursday as the player signed a new six-year contract with the La Liga giants, talkSPORT reports. After missing out on Vinicius Jr., Arsenal are reportedly turning their attention to Brighton & Hove Albion's Kaoru Mitoma.

Before this, the Brazilian forward had been closely linked with a move to the Emirates, with reports also suggesting a stalemate in his contract negotiations with Real Madrid.

With Vinicius Jr.'s original contract entering its final year this summer, Arsenal had considered making an approach for him, hoping to facilitate a blockbuster transfer.

However, their dreams quickly evaporated as the forward agreed to sign a new long-term deal at the Bernabéu.

What will Arsenal do next?

Arsenal will now begin looking for other attacking targets. Mikel Arteta is keen to strengthen his options on the left wing, after the club already announced the £75 million signing of Bruno Guimarães to bolster the midfield.

After signing Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, Arsenal allowed Leandro Trossard to join Besiktas, but have been linked with higher-profile signings this summer.

After failing to sign Vinicius Jr., talkSPORT journalist Ben Jacobs revealed that Atlético Madrid's Julián Álvarez is now Arsenal's "dream target," while Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite and PSG's Ousmane Dembélé are also on the shortlist. The latter is currently being pursued by Liverpool.

"Terrifyingly good"

talkSPORT commentator Tony Cascarino believes that Brighton & Hove Albion and Japan forward Kaoru Mitoma might be exactly what Arsenal needs on the left flank.

Since joining the Seagulls in 2021, Mitoma has built a strong reputation. With only one year left on his current contract with Brighton & Hove Albion, he could potentially leave for a relatively low price.

Cascarino said on Weekend Sports Breakfast: "If he were a bit younger and didn't have so many injuries, I would seriously consider him.

"I think Mitoma, at his best for Brighton & Hove Albion, is terrifyingly good."

"He had a poor season last year and suffered a lot of injuries. I think he only scored 3 goals in the league for Brighton & Hove Albion last season.

"But he's a very dangerous winger, always looking to beat players. Arsenal also have someone who can cover that position, so, yeah."

Mitoma was hampered by injuries in the 2025/26 season, suffering a hamstring injury against Wolves in May, which ultimately led to him missing Japan's World Cup squad.

However, he has built a strong reputation at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League over the past four years.

The Japanese star scored 7 goals in his debut Premier League season in 2022/23, helping the Seagulls to their best-ever 6th-place finish and securing Europa League qualification.

His best-scoring season came in 2024/25, when he scored 10 goals in the Premier League, and subsequently rejected interest from European giants such as Bayern Munich in the transfer window.

Rashford option mentioned

In addition to Mitoma, host Shebahn Aherne also mentioned another name familiar to Arsenal fans—Marcus Rashford's future is also uncertain.

The England star is set to return to Manchester United after Barcelona opted not to make his loan move permanent, but his future remains undecided.

Rashford has long been considered a potential signing for Arsenal, but the club has not attempted to sign him this summer, and even bitter rivals Tottenham have been named as potential suitors.

However, Cascarino is not optimistic about Arsenal signing him. He admits that Rashford's inconsistent form makes him doubt whether he is a good fit for the Gunners.

Speaking about Rashford, he said: "With Rashford, it's so hard to judge because you feel, yeah, he could absolutely...

"At his best, he can certainly cause a lot of damage to teams. But everyone thinks the same—they're all unsure."

"I've talked to a lot of people about Rashford. Everyone is unsure if he can do it at a club, and unsure if he can stay at Manchester United and continue to perform the same way. I don't know either."

Previously, new Manchester United manager Michael Carrick made room for Rashford's return to the squad, and Cascarino also admitted that his future could still lie at Old Trafford.

He added: "It's like tossing a coin, but I think Manchester United are in a good position now to say 'let's see'. Now Carrick is coaching him—a new start. I don't know, it's really hard to judge."

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