Lagoa Overview

Arsenal icon Emmanuel Petit believes the Gunners may have actually done themselves a favour by failing to land Real Madrid sensation Vinicius Jr during the summer transfer window. Despite Mikel Arteta's clear desire to add a world-class attacking threat to his Premier League-winning squad, Petit suggests the Brazilian's temperament could have disrupted the harmony at the Emirates.

Kylian Mbappe insists he is the rightful winner of this year's Ballon d'Or, despite enduring a trophyless season with Real Madrid and suffering a World Cup semi-final exit with France. The prolific forward believes his individual goalscoring heroics and record-breaking international feats set him apart from his rivals.

Arsenal are reportedly monitoring Como midfielder Nico Paz ahead of a potential move in January 2027 following his impressive performances in Serie A. However, former club Real Madrid retain total control over the Argentine's future thanks to an €80m buy-back clause.

Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho has mounted a strong defence of Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe after the star pair faced whistles at the Santiago Bernabeu. Addressing the media before Saturday's Liga match against Rayo Vallecano, Mourinho insisted both players are giving everything for the team.