John Obi Mikel taunts Arsenal after failed Vinicius pursuit

Former Chelsea midfielder, Nigerian John Obi Mikel, poked fun at Arsenal fans after the Gunners’ failed attempt to lure Vinicius Junior, who ultimately opted to extend his stay with Real Madrid.

Mikel mocks Arsenal's hopes for Vinicius: "I don't know what they were smoking"

Speaking on his podcast "The Obi One," John Obi Mikel insisted that the idea of Vinicius joining Arsenal was never realistic.

"There’s no way Vinicius would leave Real Madrid to join Arsenal. He’s a player who’s used to winning titles. He’s won the Champions League. Why would he leave Real Madrid for a club that’s only won one league title in over twenty years?" said the former Nigerian international.

Mikel also addressed the backlash from Arsenal supporters, who criticized him for doubting the feasibility of the move.

"When I said that, Arsenal fans came after me and swore I’d see Vinicius wearing their shirt. But I never believed he’d leave Madrid," he explained.

According to the former Chelsea star, Vinicius merely used Arsenal’s interest as leverage in his negotiations with Real Madrid to secure a more lucrative contract.

"I think he just used Arsenal to get a better deal with Real Madrid. That’s all there is to it," he added.

Mikel then took another jab at the Gunners’ faithful, with a particularly mocking tone: "If you ask anybody, I think it was only Arsenal fans who believed that was going to happen. I don’t know what they were smoking."

For the record, Vinicius recently extended his contract with Real Madrid through June 30, 2032.

Arsenal made a huge exception for Vinícius Junior

Mohamed Rek |

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Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

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