Report: Arsenal have bid for a player Jack Wilshere has said would be good for the Gunners

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According to The Athletic, Arsenal have now formalised their interest in Leeds United’s Raphinha with a bid.

The value of this offer remains unreported, but it is thought to be below Leeds’ asking price.

The bid came through on Tuesday evening, but according to this report, it is expected to be rejected.

Arsenal have been linked with Raphinha for a little while now, with Fabrizio Romano reporting on the Gunners’ interest way back in March, and now, it looks like the London club are stepping up their chase.

Interestingly, it was just this week that Jack Wilshere stated that Raphinha would be a good signing for the north London outfit.

“He came into England and just clicked straight away. He was in a relegation battle last season, so he knows he’s up for a fight. I think he would be a good one for Arsenal,” Wilshere said.

“Depend on how long he has left on his contract. But he will be expensive, of course he will.”

Unfortunately for Arsenal, Wilshere is right about Raphinha, he will be expensive, and the race for his signature is a tightly-contested one.

The Brazilian reportedly wants to join Barcelona, but with the Catalan outfit experiencing financial difficulties, a move to another Premier League club could be in the offing.

Of all the interested Premier League sides, it is thought that Chelsea are his first-choice, and with the Blues reportedly keen on the Leeds star, that is one that could come to fruition.

However, despite all of this speculation, Arsenal are the team to have made the first move, and while their offer is expected to be turned down, this is a real statement of intent from Edu and the Arsenal recruitment team.

As we saw with Ben White last summer, Arsenal aren’t afraid to make multiple offers to get their man, and it wouldn’t surprise us one bit if a second bid for Raphinha arrives in the coming days.

This is certainly one to keep an eye on.