Report: Tottenham join Arsenal in race for 'extraordinary' £55m winger

Tottenham Hotspur are now joining Arsenal and Newcastle United in the race to sign Barcelona winger Raphinha.

That is according to Spanish newspaper AS, who claim that Spurs are in the mix for Raphinha’s signature.

It’s stated that there is a real divide inside Barcelona over what to do with Raphinha.

Some believe that Raphinha is worth keeping and should remain an important part of Xavi’s first-team squad.

As quoted by Fabrizio Romano in February, Xavi feels that Raphinha is ‘extraordinary’, so would surely be happy to keep him.

However, Barcelona want to re-sign Lionel Messi and sort out deals for Alejandro Balde, Gavi and Pedri.

That means cash needs to come in from somewhere and Raphinha is viewed as a potential source of funds.

Some within Barcelona think Raphinha should be sold if a decent offer comes in.

That has given hope to the likes of Arsenal, Newcastle and now Tottenham that they can tempt Raphinha away from the Camp Nou.

HITC View: Raphinha would be a top signing for Tottenham

It’s hard to see Tottenham really pushing for any signing right now.

Spurs have no manager and no director of football with a whole new regime likely to arrive this summer.

That makes summer transfer planning a little difficult but most fans would be on board with a deal for Raphinha.

The Brazilian was a sensation in two seasons at Leeds United, earning that move to Barcelona as a result.

Raphinha can provide absolute magic and has the kind of creativity that few Spurs players possess.

That proven Premier League quality would be well-received in the Spurs squad and he would almost certainly be £55million well spent.

The presence of Dejan Kulusevski complicates matters but if Tottenham have a genuine chance of singing Raphinha, they must push to take it.