Arsenal may revisit the transfer of Raphinha if Edu senses Barcelona will now sell the Brazil star on the cheap. But Chelsea and Newcastle United are also targeting moves.
That is according to Pete O’Rourke, who claims that there is a possibility that Arsenal make a renewed pursuit to sign Raphinha. Gunners sporting director Edu is a huge admirer of his compatriot and will track the situation at Camp Nou in case the winger becomes available.
Barcelona are highly likely to offload a selection of big-name players this summer as La Liga demands they raise funds. Their financial plight has cast a dark shadow on Raphinha’s spell in Catalunya with the 26-year-old enduring an often frustrating debut term at the Blaugrana.
Edu is keeping tabs on Barcelona’s plight to pursue Raphinha’s transfer to Arsenal
Raphinha has regularly struggled to show himself in a positive light under Xavi Hernandez. But Edu remains open to signing the forward for Arsenal and would almost certainly move if Barcelona accept a cut-price transfer fee. Yet the Gunners chief is far from his only admirer.
Reports by Sport in March 2023 noted that Chelsea and Newcastle have opened talks with Barcelona over Raphinha’s transfer. The Premier League teams have only held exploratory talks so far. But they know the Blaugrana view the Brazilian to be a good source of income.
Chelsea and Newcastle have moved after the Blaugrana snubbed the Gunners’ bid
Yet Raphinha would rather stay at Camp Nou having only joined from Leeds United in July 2022. He left Elland Road for an initial £49m, rising to £55m after add-ons. But Newcastle have marked the £199k-a-week star among their main targets, Sport also noted in March.
Barcelona also rejected a €70m (£62m) bid by Arsenal for Raphinha’s transfer this January, Sport reported in February 2023. The Catalan giants and Xavi – who has called the forward ‘extraordinary’ – recognise the winger still has the potential to improve given his abilities.
Raphinha has only recorded nine goals and nine assists in 39 games across all competitions so far this term. His haul also only includes six goals and four assists in 25 La Liga fixtures. But the 16-cap forward from Porto Alegre often sacrifices his game to help out defensively.
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