Arsenal have been told to consider a move for Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma after missing out on the signing of Vinicius Junior.
The Real Madrid superstar had been extensively linked with a move to the Emirates this summer, given the 26-year-old’s contract at the Bernabeu was due to expire next summer.
But Arsenal’s hopes of sealing the blockbuster transfer were all but ended when it was announced last week that Vinicius had agreed a new six-year deal with the Spanish giants, keeping him at the club until 2032.
Given their pursuit of the Brazilian ultimately ended in failure, Mikel Arteta’s men remain in the market for a left winger in the final few weeks of the window.
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And former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino believes Mitoma could fit the bill as the Gunners look to bolster their options on the left side of their attack.
‘If he was a tad younger and hadn’t had so many injuries, I’d really look at him,’ Cascarino told Talksport.
‘I thought Mitoma, when he’s been Brighton’s best player, he’s scarily good.
‘He had a poor season last year, and a number of injuries. I think he scored three goals in the league for Brighton last year.
‘But he’s a dangerous winger – he wants to take people on all the time.
‘And Arsenal have got cover there, so, yeah [I’d go for him].’
Since joining Brighton as a relatively unknown entity in 2021, Mitoma has established himself as one of the most dangerous wingers in the Premier League.
His performances on the south coast have seen him linked with some of the biggest clubs in the game, including Bayern Munich, who were credited with an interest in the Japanese international following his exploits in the 2024/25 season.
The 29-year-old was unable to sustain that level for the last campaign, though, managing just three league goals before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury which subsequently ruled him out of the World Cup.
Arsenal have already signed one left attacker this window, of course, withChristos Tzolis arriving from Genk last month for around £34m.
The Greek international has made a strong start to his new life in north London and has arguably been the club’s standout performer in pre-season with three goal contributions in as many games.