There has been a lot of talk over the future of Raphinha lately, especially after the forward’s misfiring form in La Liga.
Formerly of Leeds United, Raphinha was one of Barcelona’s biggest bets in the summer. But since joining the club, the attacker has scored only three goals in 22 competitive matches. This has led to speculations over his long-term future at the club.
Earlier reports claimed that Barcelona are open to selling Raphinha under an exceptional case. And although the possibility of a potential sale in the January transfer window has been reportedly ruled out, it appears the club could be forced to make a decision on Raphinha’s future sooner than they expected.
This is because Arsenal have joined the race to sign Raphinha. The Premier League giants have recently lost out on the pursuit of Mykhailo Mudryk, who joined Chelsea in a big-money move. Having missed out on the attacker, the Gunners have eyed Raphinha as an ideal alternative.
This has been reported by Gianluigi Longari, who claims Arsenal’s sporting director Edu is a huge admirer of Raphinha. The Barcelona attacker stands out in his list of targets and he is keen on bringing the Brazilian to the Emirates Stadium, in an attempt to boost Arsenal’s bid for the league title.
Longari claims Arsenal have made a few exploratory contacts to gauge the possibility of Raphinha’s move to Emirates in January. They have yet to come up with an official bid for the attacker.
The report further suggests that Arsenal were among the clubs interested in the services of Raphinha during his time at Leeds United. But the forward ended up joining Barcelona in a blockbuster deal last summer.
Raphinha’s spell at Camp Nou, though, could come to an early end as clubs like Arsenal continue to raid the Catalans in pursuit of the Brazilian international.