How Arsenal did 'absolutely everything' to sign Vinicius Junior before Real Madrid contract breakthrough

Arsenal reportedly offered to make Vinicius Junior the "face of the Premier League" and offered the Real Madrid man one of the biggest financial packages seen in the history of the competition, but their efforts failed to bear fruit.

The Gunners held a genuine interest in securing a blockbuster deal for the Brazil international during the summer transfer window, one which would have almost certainly made Vinicius the most expensive Premier League player ever.

The 26-year-old entered the last 12 months of his Madrid contract at the end of June, and talks with Los Blancos over an extension initially did not lead to a breakthrough, apparently due to discrepancies over his wage packet.

All the while, Arsenal pulled out all the stops to charm Vinicius, but the South American is now believed to be closing in on a new Real Madrid contract after positive talks on Wednesday.

Arsenal will therefore be forced to look elsewhere for alternative left-wing targets, but their failure to bring Vinicius to North London was not for a lack of trying, according to HandofArsenal.

Arsenal were 'supremely confident' of signing Vinicius Junior

The Gunners insider reports that Arsenal's conversations with Vinicius's camp firstly included the promise of 'skyrocketing' his brand, on both an economic and global scale.

Furthermore, Vinicius would have been given a "true chance" at winning the Ballon d'Or in the English capital, as Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta did "absolutely everything" to prise him away from Madrid.

The "rollercoaster" transfer saga will ultimately end with Vinicius staying put, even though Arsenal were "supremely confident" of adding the 26-year-old to their ranks as recently as Wednesday.

The winger will instead continue his adventure in the Spanish capital, where he has come up with 228 goal involvements in 375 matches for Real Madrid in all tournaments, 128 of his own and 100 assists.

What Vinicius Junior alternatives can Arsenal sign?

The fact that Arsenal were even in the conversation to sign Vinicius from Real Madrid speaks volumes about the club's progression during the Arteta era, but a seismic transfer always seemed far-fetched.

Fans of a sceptical persuasion will also wonder whether Vinicius's camp were simply using Arsenal to get the best deal possible from Real Madrid, though his desire to stay at the Bernabeu was known long before the Gunners' interest was widely reported.

Now, sporting director Berta will be spearheading a search for alternative targets, such as Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola, although Liverpool are still seen as the favourites for the Frenchman.

The Gunners could also reignite their interest in Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams, who would represent a cheaper alternative at £77m, as per a release clause in his extraordinary 10-year San Mames contract.

RB Leipzig's Antonio Nusa is believed to be on Arsenal's radar too, but the Premier League champions may also face competition from Tottenham Hotspur for the Norwegian if Spurs' move for Manchester City's Savinho falls through.