Tottenham have reportedly entered the race to sign Leeds United and Brazil attacker Raphinha, who is a target for Barcelona and Arsenal.
According to The Athletic, the race to sign Leeds United star Raphinha in the summer transfer window has further heated up as Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have joined Barcelona in pursuit of the Brazilian.
Raphinha has been a big hit in the Premier League since joining Leeds United from Rennes in the summer of 2020. The 25-year-old has been critical to the Whites maintaining their status as a top-flight club in both seasons he has been at the club. So far, Raphinha has chalked up a tally of 17 goals and 12 assists from 67 games for Leeds.
However, the Brazilian international harbours hopes of playing European football, something that Leeds United cannot offer. And clubs are now lining up to sign Raphinha in the summer, with the Yorkshire outfit open to sanctioning a sale as long as their demands are met.
Barcelona have shown the strongest interest in Raphinha so far as they look at the 25-year-old as a long-term replacement for Ousmane Dembele. With the Frenchman’s contract expiring in two weeks, he is set to depart as a free agent. And the Blaugrana have narrowed in on Raphinha as their preferred option to take over from Dembele.
However, Barcelona’s current financial situation prevents them from going all-out in pursuit of Raphinha, despite the player’s keenness to join the club. It has left the door open for other outfits to make a move to land the winger, with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur entering the fray to sign him.
Arsenal are in the market for attacking reinforcements this summer. A centre-forward is at the top of the shopping list for the Gunners, but Mikel Arteta is also keen on adding a wide player amid question marks over the future of Nicolas Pepe and their overreliance on Bukayo Saka, despite signing young Marquinhos.
Raphinha, to that end, has emerged as a viable target for Arsenal, although the lack of Champions League football could be an issue. That is where Tottenham may have an edge over their north London rivals in pursuit of the Leeds United winger. Spurs have made a fine start to the summer window, having already signed Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster, while Yves Bissouma is also set to join.
Tottenham have also signed young goalkeeper Josh Keeley, but their transfer business is far from done. A new wide forward is on the radars of Conte as Spurs prepare to part ways with Steven Bergwijn. A move for Everton’s Richarlison has been mooted, but his asking price could force Tottenham to consider alternatives, with Raphinha popping up as such an option.
Also Read: Three potential Ousmane Dembele replacements for Barcelona
As iterated earlier, Leeds United will not stand in the way of a departure as long as their valuation for Raphinha is met. With Barcelona’s financial issues, it remains to be seen if they can cough up the requisite sum, paving the way for Arsenal and Tottenham to swoop in for the 25-year-old.
