Arsenal may have been handed their chance to sign Raphinha from Barcelona, with the player now considering his future at the Nou Camp.
That’s according to Sport, who say the Brazilian is concerned about a lack of playing time next season and may move on to ensure he does not fall out of favour with Brazil.
The newspaper explain that Raphinha is concerned about the potential return of Lionel Messi to Barcelona this summer, a move which would push him further down in Xavi’s pecking order.
If the Argentine were to return it would mean a new attacking trio of Lewandowski, Messi and Dembélé, leaving Raphinha on the sidelines and without the regular minutes needed to ensure he is a regular for the Seleçao.
Thus, he is now ‘considering leaving’ Barcelona at the end of the season and knows he has options to return to the Premier League should he wish.
Indeed, he has had ‘juicy offers’ from England on the table for several months, with his agent, Deco, handling interest from Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle.
In terms of the Gunners, Sport say that they have been ‘insisting for many months’ via ‘constant calls’ from director of football Edu to the player’s representative.
They, like their Premier League counterparts, have assured the player that they can give him an improvement on his €12m a year salary and know Barcelona are open to a deal so long as it is priced at €70-80m.
Whether Arsenal are willing to pay that isn’t mentioned but they may now be inclined to do so, with Raphinha seriously considering his future amid fears over the role he will be handed next season.
