Leeds United doesn’t seem to be in the mood to sell Brazilian winger Raphinha. At least not for a price that Arsenal offered in a recent official bid.
Arsenal made Raphinha one of their priorities during the summer window and wanted to move quickly in order to avoid competition from major European clubs. However, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, their first offer was well below Leeds’ evaluation and was swiftly rejected.
Soccer insider Fabrizio Romano followed up Ornstein’s report by revealing that the offer was somewhere in the €40/45 million range. Romano also added that Arsenal’s crosstown rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are interested in the player.
Raphinha has arguably been Leeds’ best player since joining the club in 2020 from Ligue 1 side Rennes. The 25-year-old Brazilian played 66 games in all competitions in United’s jersey and scored 17 goals to go with 11 assists.
Leeds would prefer to keep Raphinha on board as they look to bounce back following a disappointing campaign in 2021-22 in which they narrowly escaped relegation. However, reports say that the club also understands Raphinha’s ambition to play in European competitions and won’t stand in the way if their price is met.
Raphinha’s preferred destination is believed to be Barcelona, but the chances of him landing there are slim. The Catalan club is in the midst of a financial crisis and has other priorities.
