Arsenal target and Leeds United Winger Raphinha’s agent met with the President of FC Barcelona amid transfer links.
Barcelona and Arsenal have locked horns in the transfer window for the potential transfer of Leeds winger Raphinha. The Gunners entered the race by submitting their first bid for the winger a few days ago.
However, the Elland Road club rejected the proposal from the Gunners. Moreover, the player’s agent, Deco personally wants to see Raphinha don the Barcelona jersey next season.
Arsenal’s chances are slowly appearing to slim in the pursuit of the player with the first bid rejected. Now, Barcelona’s President Joan Laporta was pictured with Deco amid the transfer links.
Arsenal to pull out of the race?
With the player’s agent only wanting a move to the Spanish League, chances of Arsenal backing out seem high. However, it must not be forgotten that the Catalan giants are in the midst of a financial crisis.
Moreover, the high demands from the Elland Road Outfit do not seem to please the Barcelona President. The Catalan club is looking for alternatives in Angel Di Maria who could possibly join the club for free.
However, Di Maria‘s final call will be made soon as he prefers a move to Barcelona. Assuming the transfer for Di Maria goes through in the coming weeks, Barcelona may not pursue Raphinha any longer.
Moreover, the club intends to secure the services of Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich which seems difficult financially. With the financial constraints faced by the club, Arsenal could re-enter the race to sign the Leeds winger.
The underlying question is whether Barcelona will pay the full asking price put forth by Leeds for the winger. Di Maria’s final call may have an impact on Raphinha’s move to the Catalan giants.
Arsenal may not fully back out but could hold back temporarily to gauge the situation.
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