Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly joined Arsenal in the race to sign Barcelona forward Raphinha this summer, as per the Spanish outlet AS.
The Gunners hold a long-term interest in the Brazilian as it was reported at the beginning of this season that Mikel Arteta wanted to sign the former Leeds United star to bolster the wide areas. However, the forward decided to join Barcelona so Arsenal missed out on signing their key forward target last summer.
After moving to Camp Nou, the South American has been enjoying a promising debut campaign this term, scoring nine goals and registering 10 assists in 41 appearances in all competitions.
But, according to the report by AS, despite Raphinha’s impressive displays, Xavi Hernandez hasn’t been convinced by him. So, the Blaugrana are ready to cash-in if they receive an offer of at least £44m to balance the books amid their financial difficulties.
The report further claims that Arsenal are looking to take advantage of this situation and could reignite their interest to finally sign the South American at the end of this season.
Battle
However, AS says that securing Raphinha’s signature won’t be straightforward for Arteta’s side as arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur are also plotting a summer swoop for the 26-year-old.
It has been suggested that Tottenham want to strengthen their squad during the off-season in order to rebuild under a new manager’s guidance.
Midfield, goalkeeper and defence are areas they want to reinforce, but it appears they are also planning to strengthen their front line.
Raphinha likes to be deployed in the right-wing position but he can play on the opposite side as well. He is technically sound, quick, can wriggle past opposition defenders in tight areas, is excellent in taking set-pieces, can deliver superb crosses from the wide areas and also has an eye for scoring goals.
The Brazil international is an excellent talent and would certainly strengthen Arsenal or Tottenham’s frontline if either club manage to sign him this summer.
It remains to be seen who will win the race to sign Raphinha should Arsenal and Tottenham decide to formalise their interest at the end of this season.
