The Brazil international left Leeds United in 2022 to join the Catalan club in a deal that could reach £55million. He has since gone on to score 14 goals in 70 appearances for the La Liga giants, but has just four to his name in all competitions so far this season.
Before completing a switch to the Camp Nou, Raphinha was heavily linked with a host of Premier League clubs. The summer of 2022 came just weeks after Leeds managed to avoid relegation to the Championship, which would only last a year, with the Elland Road club dropping to the second tier of English football in 2023.
Both Arsenal and Chelsea were tentatively linked with the possibility of signing Raphinha before he joined Barca; he scored 17 goals in 67 appearances across his time at Elland Road. Now the Brazilian has a message for the Gunners.
In an interview on TikTok with Adri Contreras, Raphinha was asked a series of quickfire questions about himself. One of the questions was to name a team outside of Spain that he is fond of. Raphinha quickly answered, "Arsenal".
Raphinha of FC Barcelona
Raphinha was also asked to name the club that he almost signed for but never did. In response, the 27-year-old said, "Manchester United".
Arsenal are yet to make any signings during the January transfer window. The Gunners were linked with signing Raphinha prior to his move to Barcelona, but the speculation around a potential deal to take the Brazilian to the Emirates Stadium has quietened down significantly in the past 18 months.
The Gunners are thought to be open to the idea of strengthening their squad before the window closes on February 1. However, the club will be mindful that they have to comply with FFP regulations after spending more than £200 million last summer.
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