According to Goal, Arsenal could bring Raphinha in as a replacement for Nicolas Pepe this summer.
It was claimed back in March that the Gunners were casting an eye over Raphinha, and now it looks as though they could formalise that interest if Pepe leaves the club.
The Ivorian has been linked with a move away from the Emirates in recent weeks, and if he goes, Arsenal could look towards Leeds United’s star man.
Of course, there are a lot of moving parts to consider here, and, in our view at least, a deal looks unlikely.
For a start, Arsenal will have to find a club to take Pepe off their hands, and offloading a £72m player who earns £140,000-a-week is no easy task, especially off the back of a season where he scored just one league goal.
Then you have to consider whether or not Raphinha would even want to join Arsenal.
The Brazilian harbours ambitions of playing in the Champions League, and at present, Arsenal can’t offer him the chance to play in UEFA’s top competition, and with the likes of Barcelona, Liverpool and Chelsea interested, there are better options out there for the left-footer.
On top of this, Raphinha wouldn’t even be guaranteed minutes if he headed to north London, that spot on the right wing is currently occupied by Bukayo Saka, and after winning Arsenal’s Player of the Year award for a second time in a row, it’s hard to imagine the England international being displaced anytime soon.
Raphinha may be an ‘incredible’ player, but it’s hard to imagine a reality where he joins Arsenal this summer.
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