Arsenal are no longer interested in signing Raphinha which means Chelsea and Barcelona are the current favourites to land the winger, as per Goal Brazil.
Leeds United have reportedly agreed on a fee with Chelsea but still, Arsenal had not given up hope of signing Raphinha. However, Barcelona have reignited their interest in him and this has made things a lot more complicated.
Raphinha has his heart set on joining Barca and the Spanish club are trying to use this to their advantage and hijack the deal from Chelsea’s grasp. Amidst all this, Arsenal are falling behind each day and now the club have made the sensible decision to back out altogether.
The Gunners are searching for a new forward but they have chosen to focus on their other targets rather than chasing a lost cause.
Chelsea or Barcelona: Which club is likely to sign Raphinha?
Leeds have agreed to a £60 million bid from Chelsea and it was only a matter of time before the Brazilian officially moved to Stamford Bridge.
However, Barcelona have made a late entry by making a bid of €50m plus €10m add-ons.
This amount falls short of what the Blues are currently offering but Barca are not done yet because most of the pundits believe they will come back with a new and improved offer.
Raphinha, hoping for Barcelona move with 5 year deal ready since March – no final answer sent to Chelsea yet, waiting for Barça. 🇧🇷 #FCB
Barcelona bid last Thursday: €50m plus €10m add-ons, paid in installments.
Leeds insist they only accepted Chelsea bid for £60m, as of now. pic.twitter.com/Q3NAuW4FUA
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 1, 2022
Between Chelsea and Barcelona, Raphinha will any day choose a move to the Camp Nou but before that can happen, the Catalans will have to convince Leeds United by outbidding the Blues.
Arsenal have missed out on Raphinha: What now?
Now that Arsenal have given up hope of signing Raphinha, they are expected to scout their alternatives.
The Gunners are said to be looking at PSV winger Cody Gakpo as a replacement for Raphinha and they could also reignite their interest in Bayern’s Serge Gnabry. Gnabry could be a bargain signing because he’s not yet signed a contract extension with Bayern Munich and he can play on either wing.
Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio is another viable option for Arsenal and Bayern Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby is someone who’s also been mentioned in some reports this summer.
