Premier League clubs Arsenal and Chelsea are interested in signing Barcelona winger Raphinha ahead of next season.
According to Fichajes, Arsenal and Chelsea are interested in signing Raphinha in the summer. The 26-year-old has not lived up to the expectation in his first season at Barcelona. Despite that, there is still a lot of interest in his services, with the two London clubs ready to pay €70 million for him.
Raphinha came into the limelight after an impressive spell at Leeds United in the Premier League. His performances attracted a lot of interest. And, Catalan giants Barcelona managed to strike a deal for his services last summer. They paid around €60 million to sign the 26-year-old, beating Arsenal and Chelsea to his signature.
The Brazilian winger’s contract at the club ends in the summer of 2027. But, he might be on his way just a year after joining the Catalan giants. Barcelona have been struggling in terms of finances of late.
They have been in a financial crisis for a while now. And, Barcelona will not be able to spend on signing reinforcement in the summer unless they make some big sales. They could thus look to sell the 26-year-old and raise around €70 million. That is just €10 million more than what they had spent on his services.
Raphinha’s departure will give them some air to work for new arrivals ahead of next season. And, Xavi looks desperate for reinforcement given Barcelona’s disappointing performance in Europe this season. Meanwhile, London clubs Arsenal and Chelsea are keen on the 26-year-old who has 18 goal involvements in 37 outings this season.
Chelsea were interested in his services last summer but lost out on him. They are willing to return to the table in the upcoming window but will have to offload a few players before they can make a move for the Brazil international.
Meanwhile, Arsenal, who are currently leading the race for the Premier League title, are also keen on signing Raphinha. They are all set to return to the UEFA Champions League after seven long years and want to add more firepower to take the next step under Mikel Arteta’s leadership.
Arsenal were interested in signing Raphinha in January from Barcelona. But they could not meet Barcelona’s financial demands. However, they are set to return in the summer. And, it will be interesting to see if Raphina wants to return to England or stay in Spain for another season.
