Talks Advanced- Arsenal have tabled a transfer request to sign in-form £68M Superstar- Player already met his some of Arsenal players- His club are ‘more than ready’ to accept Arsenal’s bid- Personal terms not a problem as Player wants Arsenal move ONLY
Mikel Arteta gets renewed hope of sealing dream £68m transfer as Arsenal ‘secret weapon’ emerges
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta could still make an ambitious move to bring Barcelona star Raphinha to Emirates Stadium after a potential secret weapon emerged. Prior to his Leeds departure, both Arsenal and Chelsea were interested in signing the Brazil international with the Gunners also linked in the January transfer window.
Bolstering the frontline was seen as crucial earlier in the year with Mykhailo Mudryk identified as the main target. Chelsea hijacking that transfer resulted in Arsenal seeking out alternatives with Raphinha and Barcelona team-mate Ferran Torres two options looked into.
Eventually Arsenal signed Leandro Trossard, but another signing could be made in that department six months on to offer competition to Bukayo Saka. Ajax star Mohammed Kudus has been eyed as one possible signing, with his versatility to also play in central midfielder a key trait Arteta looks for on his signings.
However, the Gunners could re-establish their interest in Raphinha with Barcelona already setting their asking price. According to a report in May from Spanish outlet SPORT, the Catalan giants are prepared to accept offers in the region of €80million (£68million).
It is also claimed the player is open to a departure as he is afraid of losing his first-team status next season, which would also damage his hopes of playing consistently on the international stage.
A Premier League return could certainly be on the cards for Raphinha and joining Arsenal may be the most likely outcome as one player already in north London has known the 26-year-old for nearly a decade.
Gabriel Magalhaes and Raphinha posed for a photo on the pitch following Arsenal’s pre-season clash in the USA against Barcelona. While on the face of things, it appears as just two international team-mates catching up, the duo came up together in Avai academy playing in the same youth setup from 2014 to 2016.
There is no guarantee Raphinha joins Arsenal this summer especially following a £200million spend from Edu and Arteta, but as long as Gabriel remains at the club and Raphinha a target of the Gunners, there will always be hope the latter makes a move to Arsenal.
Which of the following prospects would you like to see in the first team, or loaned out for experience?
