Arsenal fans should be concerned over Raphinha transfer embarrassment

James Shearman

29 Jun 2022 17:29 BST
4 min read

Leeds United winger Raphinha was one of Arsenal's top targets, as well as Barcelona and Tottenham, but Chelsea look as though they have won the race to sign him.

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Raphinha registered 11 goals and three assists in a Leeds team that barely avoided relegation from the Premier league, earning interest from a host of Europe's top teams.

The Whites had told interested clubs that the Brazilian's asking price would be £60 million, which Arsenal were not prepared to meet, despite looking like the favourites to sign him just a few days ago.

Now Chelsea, who are also in talks with Manchester City for winger Raheem Sterling, have made a bid that satisfies Leeds' demands, and personal terms have also been agreed.

The situation is an embarrassing one for Arsenal, who are trying to show ambition in the transfer market.

Raphinha would have been a statement signing for Mikel Arteta's men, one which Gunners fans were looking forward to, so the fact that he will now take to the pitch at Stamford Bridge is a concern.

The north London club will now have to look elsewhere, having spent days eyeing up a deal for the Leeds winger, but there are some quality alternatives.

Arsenal's Raphinha alternatives

Noa Lang will only command a fraction of the near £60m Leeds want for Raphinha, as he plays in Belgium's top-flight with Club Brugge.

That's not to say he doesn't have the requisite level to succeed at the Emirates, with the Gunners tracking the 23-year-old for some time.

Lang swapped Ajax for Brugge in October 2020 and has since racked up 26 goals and as many assists in 85 games in all competitions - which included a Man of the Match performance against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last term.

Now also a full international with the Netherlands, Lang is rated at €20m by FootballTransfers' sophisticated in-house algorithm.

Ousmane Dembele is currently engaged in a contract stand-off with Barcelona, with the Catalans wanting to reduce their initial offer to the France international winger. If he doesn't accept, Dembele will be a free agent this summer.

That is something that could attract Arsenal, as is Dembele's mercurial footwork which helped him contribute 13 assists to Barca's cause last season.

After Chelsea's reported interest in Raphinha, Barça hope that Ousmane Dembélé will accept the club's renewal offer. The player knows that he has Xavi's maximum confidence.

— @mundodeportivo pic.twitter.com/Uiua2NF4Xi
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) June 29, 2022

Raphinha's move to Chelsea also makes a mooted Blues move for Dembele unlikely, leaving the Gunners with less competition in contract negotiations.

Dembele has been an uneasy fit at Camp Nou since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, but Arsenal have a rich history of world-class French players - ones who honed their craft there - and a deal could suit player and club.

Serge Gnabry has already been an Arsenal player, spending five years at the club before winding up at Bayern Munich via nomadic spells with West Brom, Werder Bremen and Hoffenheim.

Now a top player who boasts 20 goals in just 34 appearances with Germany, Gnabry is out of contract with Bayern at the end of next season, and has thus far been reluctant to extend his deal.

Bayern's recent acquisition of Sadio Mane from Liverpool could compromise Gnabry's minutes in the final third in the coming season, and Arsenal - who only just missed out on Raphinha - could hope to get a player ranked at €42m comfortably inside their budget.