Arsenal want Raphinha and there has now been a meeting between Gunners technical director Edu and Raphinha’s agent Deco.
The Gunners are poised to sign Fabio Vieira from Porto whilst Sao Paulo winger Marquinhos has already joined the club.
Manchester City attacker Gabriel Jesus is a top target but there could be another Brazilian on his way to the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal also fancy signing Leeds winger Raphinha but face a major battle to prise him away from Elland Road this summer.
Arsenal want Raphinha
The Sun now claim that Arsenal technical director Edu has actually met with Raphinha’s main agent Deco over a potential deal.
Leeds are expecting a call from Arsenal very soon and the Gunners are preparing an official approach.
Leeds will demand £60million for their star winger – more than three times the fee they paid to sign Raphinha from Rennes in 2020.
The problem for Arsenal is that Raphinha prefers to join Barcelona and has already agreed personal terms with them.
Add in Deco’s ties to Barcelona from his playing days and this one may not be easy for Arsenal to hijack.
Tottenham and Chelsea are also keen, adding another layer of difficulty to Arsenal’s chase.
Another issue is that Raphinha wants to play in the Champions League and Arsenal can’t offer that after missing out on the top four.
Securing Raphinha looks like a difficult prospect but what a signing this would be for Arsenal and Edu.
Raphinha is full of skill and imagination but also a feverish work rate that will endear him to fans and Mikel Arteta.
Raphinha mostly plays on the right flank, so we could see him or Bukayo Saka deployed in different roles should Arsenal strike.
That’s still an exciting proposition though and Edu’s meeting with Deco just goes to show how serious Arsenal are about this signing.
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