ARSENAL have been handed a new hope in their bid to land Raphinha, reports suggest.
The Gunners tried to buy the winger last summer and in January, but saw Barcelona sign him before the Brazilian rejected a mid-season move.
However, with Barcelona still in an unenviable financial situation, Arsenal’s long-term pursuit has been handed a boost.
According to Football Insider, Raphinha is one player who could be put up for sale in the summer.
This comes with Barcelona looking to raise funds worth as much as £178million.
And the report reveals Barcelona want to recoup at least as much as they paid to sign the 26-year-old.
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The Spanish giants agreed a £55m transfer for Raphinha from Leeds.
After an initial period where he struggled to adapt, Raphinha’s form has taken an upturn following the World Cup.
Indeed, he has contributed to six goals in his last ten league games having previously contributed to four in 15.
Raphinha is a Premier League-proven talent, having scored 17 goals and adding 12 assists during his two years at Elland Road.
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On Barca’s financial issues, La Liga chief executive Javier Tebas explained: “We have strict economic controls. At the end of each window, we tell all the clubs in La Liga what they can spend.
“In the case of Barcelona, they have to drop from spending on wages and transfers from 650m euros to 450m euros – so it’s a budget of minus 200m Euros.”
However, any sale of Raphinha would come after Barca boss Xavi hailed him as “the future of Barcelona”.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
