Arsenal and Chelsea ready to pounce for £55m Barcelona star, La Liga club forced to sell

Barcelona’s financial issues are well documented and the Catalan club may be forced into selling Raphinha this summer to ease their problems as Arsenal and Chelsea get ready to pounce.

The Brazilian star made the move to Spain from Leeds United in 2022 as part of a £55m deal and although he has had moments, the winger has failed to consistently produce for Barca.

Raphinha has won his place back in Xavi’s starting 11 in recent weeks and played a pivotal role in the 1-0 win over Las Palmas at the weekend as he scored the winning goal. That took his total for the season up to six, alongside 10 assists, across 29 matches.

The 27-year-old has a contract at Barcelona until 2027 but the emergence of Lamine Yamal has made the Brazilian a sellable asset.

According to Sport, the winger is happy at the La Liga giants and does not want to leave this summer but that may not matter as Barca will push to sell the Brazil international to help ease their financial issues.

Premier League clubs ready to pounce for Raphinha

According to Football Insider, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are all interested in Raphinha and are monitoring the winger’s situation at Barcelona.

These clubs have liked the 27-year-old for a while now and would love to bring the winger back to the Premier League where he previously starred with Leeds.

However, the report says that Saudi Pro League clubs are currently looking the most likely destination for the Barca star as they can offer the La Liga club the fee they want and meet the player’s wage demands.

There is still a long way to go and nothing is even close to being decided regarding Raphinha’s future. However, Barcelona seem to be open to selling the player and it could be a good transfer story to keep an eye on this