Arsenal, Newcastle ‘monitoring’ £50m attacker as Barca plan to ‘sacrifice’ top talent to raise funds
Premier League duo Arsenal and Newcastle are both ‘monitoring’ Raphinha’s situation at Barcelona with his future at the Nou Camp in doubt, according to reports.
Raphinha rejected Chelsea and Arsenal last summer in order to make his ‘dream move’ to the Catalan giants for around £50million.
The Brazilian winger impressed for Leeds following his £17m move from Rennes in 2020.
It was no surprise to see so many top clubs vying for his signature last year, though his first year at the Nou Camp has not exactly been plain sailing.
The 26-year-old is already being linked with an exit – mainly because Barcelona are skint and need the money, not because he has been rubbish.
After failing to land Raphinha last summer, Arsenal reportedly remain interested in signing the former Leeds man.
Chelsea, meanwhile, seem pretty unlikely to reignite their interest having signed several wingers since missing out on the Brazilian.
Should Barcelona look to cash in on Raphinha, they will find it fairly easy to get rid, unless they ask for an extortionate amount of money.
And according to the Daily Mail, Raphinha is one of the most likely to be sold in the summer with the La Liga leaders searching for solutions to meet financial guidelines.
The Brazilian international could be ‘sacrificed’ and it is believed Xavi prefers Ousmane Dembele – who has a £45m release clause, but is not expected to leave the Nou Camp.
Arsenal and Newcastle are both ‘monitoring’ Raphinha’s situation, though ‘there are no guarantees’ Barca will ‘recoup their desired price’.
The Gunners could well be in the market for a new winger despite the January signing of Leandro Trossard.
Bukayo Saka is heavily relied on at the Emirates and the extra competition ahead of the club’s return to the Champions League would do Mikel Arteta no harm.
The England international is the only out-and-out right-winger at the club and having Raphinha could help push his game to another level.
While Arsenal are guaranteed Champions League football, Newcastle are in a great position to return to Europe’s elite competition.
Their emphatic 6-1 win over Tottenham on Sunday gave them a huge boost, a week on from the disappointing 3-0 defeat at Aston Villa.
Eddie Howe’s side are currently third in the Premier League, six points above fifth-placed Spurs, while having a game in hand.
Brighton, Liverpool and Aston Villa are also in the mix to finish in the top four, though Newcastle and Man Utd are expected to occupy third and fourth behind Arsenal and Man City.
Despite their spectacular season, the Magpies will need to bolster their squad in the summer, with Europa League qualification surely the worst-case scenario.
Raphinha would be a terrific and ambitious signing. He would slot straight into their starting XI and is the sort of profile Howe should be chasing, especially given the funds at his disposal.
READ MORE: Premier League winners and losers: Praise for Newcastle, Paqueta but Spurs and Leeds slammed
Full Story: https://www.football365.com/news/arsenal-newcastle-monitoring-50m-attacker-as-barca-plan-to-sacrifice-top-talent-to-raise-funds
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