Arsenal will have to pay more than Edu wants to if Mikel Arteta is to sign Barcelona winger Raphinha. He is a transfer target of the Gunners after they failed to sign Mykhaylo Mudryk.
That is according to Ben Jacobs, who reports the Emirates Stadium natives have turned to Camp Nou for attacking reinforcements. Arteta had hoped to get Mudryk to north London in the mid-season market. But Chelsea have signed him for £62m, plus £26.5m in add-ons.
Raphinha is one of several potential alternatives that Arsenal sporting director Edu is now exploring a transfer for. But the Brazil star is not open to a return to the Premier League as he only joined the Blaugrana last July. He has no interest in leaving the La Liga side already.
Barcelona also want a larger fee for Raphinha than Arsenal are interested in paying for the 26-year-old’s transfer. The Catalan powerhouse paid Leeds United an initial £49m, rising to £55m with add-ons, for the 16-cap international. He is also under contract until June 2027.
Arsenal were ready to spend big to keep Raphinha in the Premier League last year when he left Elland Road. Mundo Deportivo reported the Gunners, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur all offered Leeds deals rising to €75m (£66m). But Raphinha only wanted to join Barcelona.
Edu is in talks with Barcelona and Raphinha’s agent over his transfer to Arsenal
Raphinha has struggled to impress Barcelona chiefs since securing his transfer from Leeds last summer. Sport notes the Camp Nou hierarchy are growing ‘impatient’ with his lack of output under boss Xavi. They also ‘expect much more’ from the Porto Alegre-born winger.
Yet Sport also reports that Barcelona would now want €100m (£88m) to grant Raphinha’s transfer in January amid Arsenal’s interest. President Joan Laporta is reluctant to cut their losses just yet. Even if Raphinha has only offered three goals and five assists in 23 outings.
Edu is exploring the conditions Barcelona require for Raphinha’s transfer to Arsenal in the mid-season market, though. Sport Italia reports the Gunners chief identified the £199k-a-week star as a target and held talks with his Camp Nou counterparts over his availability.
Laporta wants more for Raphinha than Edu is interested in spending in January
Reports by Sky Sports also add that Edu has spoken with Raphinha’s agent, Deco, over his transfer to Arsenal. But Jacobs feels Laporta’s valuation is higher than the Brazilian is open to paying in January. So, Arteta is unlikely to sign a forward Leeds chief Victor Orta adored.
“He has good legs, physically very good [and] works a lot off the ball,” Orta told COPE last June. “He is an exciting player and then going forward, he can take on players, get away from players [and] he’s difficult to play against.
“He’s one of the guys who runs the most in the league. He’s a special player [and] he’s got similarities to Neymar. He plays well on the wing but runs back much more than Neymar.”
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