Arsenal have been given further transfer hope of signing Barcelona star Raphinha with the Brazilian said to be considering his future at Camp Nou. Last summer, he turned down a move to both Chelsea and Arsenal in favour of moving to Spain, but an imminent return to the Premier League could be on the way at the end of the 2022/23 season.
The 26-year-old has made 45 appearances in all competitions for the Catalan giants scoring 10 goals and grabbing 11 assists. Although the majority of his minutes have arrived from the bench and while that is unlikely to please Raphinha, there is one clear reason why he is thinking about leaving.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, Raphinha is 'considering leaving' Barcelona this summer due to a lack of game time with the former Leeds man also concerned about what the potential arrival of Lionel Messi could do to his place in the team.
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Messi departure from Paris Saint-Germain appears inevitable this summer and a return back to Barcelona under his former team-mate Xavi looks likely. Raphinha already faces stiff competition from Robert Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele and Ansu Fati, although he also could be set for an exit in the summer.
The report also adds that the forward has a number of 'juicy offers from the Premier League', with Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle all said to be interested in his services. It is also noted that Arsenal have been 'insisting for many months' with the club's sporting director Edu making 'constant calls' to Raphinha's representatives.
Chelsea and Newcastle are also expected to make significant moves in the transfer market with the Blues to provide Mauricio Pochettino, who is on the verge of becoming the next manager, with more players. Meanwhile, on Tyneside, a Champions League spot being secured would likely see a healthy transfer budget arrive for Eddie Howe.
As per Brazilian journalist Joaquim Piera, Barcelona are willing to sell him if a bid of €70M-80M (£62m-£71m) is made. Departures could also be on the way for Franck Kessié, Eric Garcia, Ferran Torres, Marcos Alonso to facilitate a return for Messi.
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