As they attempt to outbid London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham for the services of Leeds winger Raphinha, ARSENAL is reportedly considering a second offer. The Gunners made an attempt to sign the forward earlier this week because Mikel Arteta had made him a priority signing.
However, the Whites quickly rejected their offer because it was significantly less than what they were asking for. On Monday, it was asserted that Arsenal will finalize a deal for the Brazilian this week, but it now appears that those assertions were exaggerated.
Raphinha, 25, is contracted to Elland Road through 2024, therefore Leeds are not in a hurry to sell him. The Yorkshire team will only release the former Rennes star if they are paid at least £65 million, according to the Guardian.
However, they claim that despite the high asking price, Arsenal are getting ready to submit a second offer in an effort to sign him to the Emirates. Raphinha has reportedly been a target for Arsenal since March, but Spurs and Chelsea are also intrigued.
Leeds has reportedly been informed by Tottenham that they also intend to submit a formal offer for Leeds’ prized asset.
The Blues have looked into acquiring Thomas Tuchel in the interim. Raphinha is believed to have made a transfer to LaLiga powerhouse Barcelona his top choice if he were to leave Leeds.
However, it would seem that the Blaugrana lack the resources to sign him. Raphinha’s fellow countryman Gabriel Jesus might join him at Arsenal. The striker for Manchester City has been named as Alexandre Lacazette’s ideal successor.
As their negotiations with the Citizens progress, it is thought that the Gunners are prepared to pay the 25-year-old their highest paid player. Arsenal has had a busy week following the club’s announcement on Tuesday that it had paid £34 million to acquire the promising midfielder Fabio Vieira from Porto.