Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah is also nearing Marseille, a move that could fetch another £20m or so for the Gunners to reinvest.
Having finally concluded a deal for Riccardo Calafiori, Arsenal could still make three more signings this summer, aiming to significantly improve their squad depth.
One of those three deals is likely to be a replacement for Aaron Ramsdale if he goes, but otherwise Edu and his transfer team will also be attempting to find a new midfielder and forward.
Mikel Arteta recently said that Arsenal won’t spend £100m on a new signing, there won’t be another Declan Rice type move to come this summer.
Whilst that perhaps rules out a move for the likes of Victor Osimhen or Viktor Gyokeres, Arsenal may still have some exciting opportunities.
And one of those could be a move for Barcelona winger Raphinha.
Arsenal target Raphinha is determined to stay at Barcelona this summer
Arsenal are said to be ready to bid for Raphinha, who Barcelona could look to sell because of their difficult FFP situation.
However, Arsenal’s stumbling block could be Raphinha’s reluctance to leave Barcelona.
Raphinha #11 of Brazil standing over the ball during a Copa America 2024 quarterfinal match between Brazil and Uruguay at Allegiant Stadium on July...
And with Fabrizio Romano now sharing news on X that the Brazilian has rejected approaches from Saudi Arabia recently, it seems as if the message is loud and clear.
Romano said that intermediaries from Saudi Arabia have been in contact to discuss Raphinha’s availability, and were given no encouragement at all.
He shared: “Intermediaries have approached again Raphinha this week to understand his availability to Saudi Pro League move in August.
“The answer was clear again: Raphinha wants to stay at Barcelona, it’s his priority.”
Therefore, perhaps Arsenal will ultimately decide against a bid for ‘unbelievable’ Raphinha this summer – they won’t fiercely chase players not invested in their project.
Calafiori even visited Arsenal in January to demonstrate just how much he wanted to join the club.
And Arsenal surely won’t waste their energy on convincing any player to change their mind and head to north London – a project which should speak for itself.
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