If Vinicius Junior joins Arsenal, it will be a special deal because the Brazilian striker is at the peak of his career and has affirmed his position as a global superstar. The "Gunners" once considered him a top target if he left Real Madrid, but Vinicius finally signed a new contract with the Spanish team until 2032.
The failed Vinicius deal once again shows the paradox of the Premier League. English clubs possess superior financial strength and the league is considered the most attractive in the world, but they face many difficulties in attracting players who are at their peak and competing for the Golden Ball.
Since the Premier League was born in 1992, only Michael Owen, Cristiano Ronaldo and Rodri have won the Ballon d'Or when playing for an English club. Meanwhile, the Premier League is very good at turning young talents or players who have not reached their peak into top stars.
Dennis Bergkamp, Eric Cantona and Thierry Henry all developed strongly after moving to England. Ronaldo joined Manchester United at the age of 18 and won the Golden Ball 5 years later. Erling Haaland also came to Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund at the age of 21, before becoming one of the most dangerous strikers in the world.
However, recruiting a superstar who has reached his peak is another story. Andriy Shevchenko is one of the rare cases when he moved to Chelsea from AC Milan in 2006 at the age of 29, just 2 years after winning the Golden Ball.
Names like Ruud Gullit, George Weah or Zlatan Ibrahimovic have also played for English teams, but most of them came when they had entered the later stages of their careers.
The financial rise of the Premier League has changed the balance of power in the transfer market. English teams are willing to spend huge sums of money, but often allocate resources to build a deep squad instead of focusing on a "Galactico".
Alexander Isak, Morgan Rogers, Elliot Anderson, Moises Caicedo, Declan Rice and Jack Grealish have all been spent more than 100 million pounds by Premier League clubs. Florian Wirtz also joined Liverpool with great fame, but the German midfielder still has many years ahead to reach the peak of his career.
Real Madrid and Barcelona still have a special advantage when top world players consider destinations. Jude Bellingham is a typical example. After developing at Dortmund, the English midfielder decided to move to Real Madrid instead of returning to the Premier League.
Kylian Mbappe is also steadfast in his ambition to wear the Real Madrid shirt, while Neymar chose Barcelona when leaving Santos in 2013. Cristiano Ronaldo left Man United to come to Madrid just one year after winning the Golden Ball. Luis Suarez also moved to Barcelona after winning the Premier League Golden Shoe and the PFA Player of the Year award.
Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard both left the Premier League to join Real Madrid after affirming their position in England. Harry Kane is another case when choosing Bayern Munich instead of continuing to pursue the Premier League scoring record.
The attraction of Real Madrid and Barcelona does not only come from climate, lifestyle or cultural factors. Champions League history, global influence and connection with individual titles such as the Golden Ball help the two Spanish clubs maintain a special position in the transfer market.
Rodri is currently facing a similar choice when both Barcelona and Real Madrid are interested.
The Premier League has proven its ability to create top superstars. But when a player has reached the peak, persuading them to choose England instead of Real Madrid, Barcelona or other prestigious destinations is still a difficult problem.
