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Arsenal have had an offer rejected by Leeds for Raphinha but intend to push again to sign the Brazil international amid competition from two other Premier League clubs and Barcelona.
THE LOWDOWN: MUCH INTEREST
The Brazilian has been the subject of much interest in recent weeks after enjoying two spectacular seasons in the English top flight.
Since joining Leeds United in 2020 from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes for £17m, the Brazil international has been nothing short of sensational for the Yorkshire club.
This summer so far has seen him attract many suitors for his signature, namely from Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Barcelona.
And according to a report from The Athletic, the north London club made an offer for the Brazilian on but it fell well short of Leeds’ valuation for the player, which was rejected out of hand.
THE LATEST: IMPROVED BID
However, the Gunners are expected to return with a new bid for the former Stade Rennes man, according to a report from the Guardian.
It is likely to require at least £65m to convince the Whites to sell their star player.
THE VERDICT: WORTH EVERY PENNY
Raphinha is undoubtedly a wonderful player to watch – hailed as a ‘magician’ by Leeds teammate Dan James and a ‘storm’ by goalkeeper Illan Meslier – and looks like he will have a spectacular footballing career wherever he ends up in the near future.
A move for the Whites star could be a brilliant one for the Gunners and just what Mikel Arteta needs ahead of the new season, as he would significantly boost their exciting attacking weaponry and acquire a considerable upgrade on Nicolas Pepe. The Brazilian superstar would be well worth the £65m outlay.
The 25-year-old has proven to be very effective in the final third, having amassed 17 goals and 11 assists across 66 outings in England, earning a first call-up for his national team during this time.
The £40.5m-rated wizard has impressively shown that he is indeed one of the league’s most efficient attackers – ranking seventh in the Premier League for key passes (65) and ninth for shot-creating actions (119) (via FBRef), highlighting his stunning influence when forming opportunities for his teammates.
Arteta could well pull off a statement move to the rest of the English top-flight and their rivals by bringing in the Porto Alegre-born superstar. He’s worth every penny.
AND in other news, Arsenal can land Robert Pires 2.0 in £40.5m-rated “magician” – opinion…
