When the rumours first began to spread through a then-nascent Twitter, just over 24 hours before the 2013 summer transfer window deadline, it felt impossible that Arsenal would pull it off.
The Luis Suarez deal had gone sour and the £40 million (plus £1) stood dormant in the bank account but surely Mesut Ozil was out of range for a club that hadn’t won a single trophy since 2005, and eight-year barren spell during which time the club had made a net profit of £20 million on transfers.
Ozil must rank among the most surprising transfers in Premier League history, up there with Robinho’s deadline-day move to Manchester City or Carlos Tevez’s transfer to West Ham.
Like those two, Ozil’s was a shock-and-awe acquisition designed to boost morale, signal intent, and usher in a brave new era.
Alexis Sanchez followed for a similar fee 12 months later but that was it, enough to help the late stages of the Arsene Wenger era to a few FA Cups but nothing more.
It was a false dawn for a club still repaying its stadium debt and held in an ever-tightening vice by a stubborn manager past his best.
Those transfers came to mind over the weekend when Vinicius Junior’s name was linked with Arsenal’s. More than a decade later, an opportunity has presented itself for another bold attempt at entering the truly elite.
This time, of course, Arsenal come from a much higher base, which means that, this time, spending big on a world-class star could be the catalyst for so much more...perhaps even a dynasty in north London.
The moment is theirs. The time to consolidate power and rewire the Premier League is now.
Manchester City have lost Pep Guardiola and Bernardo Silva and look likely to lose Rodri in the coming weeks.
Andoni Iraola always starts slowly, such is the depth and detail of his tactical revolution, plus Liverpool’s transfer activity (including the departure of Mohamed Salah) almost guarantees this will be a transitional year for them.
Chelsea have shown no sign of stabilising since BlueCo’s arrival which makes it unlikely Xabi Alonso can sort them out overnight, especially with a new 3-4-3 formation to implement.
Manchester United are finally moving in the right direction but nobody realistically thinks they are close to challenging for the title.
Mikel Arteta knows all this and must sense the opportunity. Perhaps he even regrets the decision to spend so big on Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke last summer when they could have signed Alexander Isak for the same price; regrets the absence of star power that might have got them over the line in the Champions League final.
Whatever the reason, Arsenal’s reported push for Vinicius, though hugely ambitious, is well-timed.
Here is a rare chance to sail well clear of the chasing pack, as well as build upon a rock-solid defensive foundation with a marquee attacking signing to take the pressure off Bukayo Saka and strike fear into the hearts of Arsenal’s opponents, domestic and on the continent.
More than that, signing Vinicius would tell the world that Arsenal are no longer building, they are built; a super-club with the financial might to join that small band of clubs who expect to win trophies every season.
These opportunities don’t come along very often. It should excite Arsenal supporters that the board seem well aware of that, reportedly preparing to sanction a move to Vinicius and for Julian Alvarez, the number nine Arsenal have so badly needed throughout Arteta’s reign.
In 2013 they could only afford one, Ozil, adding Sanchez a year later.
If Arsenal can bring in two star forwards in a single summer they will instantly become heavy favourites to win the Premier League title in 2026/27 – and can even start dreaming of a monopoly to match Guardiola’s Man City.
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