The Metro is carrying a report claiming that Arsenal have been handed another opportunity to sign Barcelona winger Raphinha.
The Gunners were heavily linked with a move for the Brazilian winger last summer but the player himself preferred a move to Barcelona and they eventually paid Leeds £55m for his signature.
However, Raphinha’s ‘dream move’ to the Nou Camp hasn’t gone according to plan as he’s failed to impress having scored only three times in his 21 appearances for the club since joining last summer.
Now, stunningly, reports from Spain via the Metro are claiming that Barcelona are ready to sell Raphinha only six months after his arrival as they look to balance their books. Failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League knockout stages for the second season running has hurt the already dwindling Spanish giants’ finances.
It has been reported that Arsenal could now renew their interest in Raphinha as Mikel Arteta is actively looking to strengthen his attack this month having lost Gabriel Jesus to a serious knee injury.
However, the Gunners could face competition as the report says rivals Tottenham and Chelsea have also been handed an opportunity to sign Raphinha having also been linked in the summer. In fact, it was the Blues that came the closest to signing him before the former Leeds United man opted for a move to Barcelona.
After failing to get Raphinha, Tottenham signed his compatriot, Richarlison, and are unlikely to return for the winger. Chelsea have already spent £315 million in player transfers this season and are unlikely to make any more big purchases this winter, having already signed Joao Felix on loan while Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Our View
One of Raphinha’s main strengths is his ability to cut inside but the reason why he has been unsuccessful in his Barca career so far is that he has been asked to stay wide on most occasions. Moreover, with Ousmane Dembele gaining prominence, Raphinha has been deployed on the left flank which is not his favoured position.
Arsenal could benefit from signing Raphinha and could even manage to get him in a discounted deal, as compared to the £88 million being demanded by Shakhtar for Mudryk. Transfermarkt has valued Raphinha at just £44 million so he’d be an attractive option if the Gunners could snap him up at that sort of price.
We’ll have to wait and see how this story develops but if Arsenal don’t find a breakthrough in talks for Mudryk soon, they may decide to switch their attention to Raphinha if he’s available at a cut-price fee.
