If Arsenal sign Leeds star Raphinha they will be getting a top player if Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher are to be believed.
The north Londoners have been linked with a move for the Brazilian international in recent times and according to a report from Goal of Brazil, the Gunners are 'very close' to signing the 25-year-old, who has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona this year. Their report claims that the player doesn't want to continue waiting for the Blaugrana to make a move and the player is said to be hoping to complete a move to Mikel Arteta's side within the week.
Barcelona's ongoing financial struggles have proved to be a stumbling block in their pursuit of the talented winger, something that Arsenal could reportedly take advantage of. The report goes on to say that if nothing goes wrong, he will sign for Arteta's men this summer.
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And Manchester United icon Neville has previously been full of praise for the tricky wideman. Speaking about the Brazilian on Sky Sports earlier this year, he said: “He’s a top player, I think if they were to go down then a lot of clubs would be looking at him.
“I know he was left out towards the end of the [Marcelo] Bielsa reign, people saying he was inconsistent, but every time I’ve watched him I think 'I wouldn’t like to play against him'. He’s certainly a level above the players they have on the bench.
"Raphinha being out tonight is a blow.” Neville's fellow pundit and former Liverpool defender Carragher has also made it no secret of his admiration for the player.
Speaking about the former Lille star last year, he said: "Some of his touches and his play when he comes inside, we’ve highlighted his movement as well. I was really impressed with him when I watched him at Leicester last weekend as well, not just by Raphinha, but (Patrick) Bamford as well.
"You see that shot there (before Bamford’s goal against Palace), that’s so typical of a wide man, that penetrating run that we talk about with Salah, Mane and Sterling, all the great wide players. They make that run and he does. He has great quality on the ball.
"He assisted Bamford certainly in that Leicester game when he fired that pass in and you look at his numbers there, he looks like a real player, certainly of late. I think we mentioned before the game that he’s been involved in seven goals in the last eight games, so he’s always a huge threat and that’s always telling when your teammates know from one training session.
"I’ll never forget one player - as soon as Xabi Alonso came to Liverpool - it’s like you could tell in the session, the way he passed, the pace of the pass, the noise of it, as a dressing room you sort of step back and say that we’ve got one here and it sounds like that was what the Leeds dressing room did (with Raphinha).”
