Arsenal pull out of race for €50m winger as player desires Barcelona move

In what could be a boost for Barcelona, Arsenal have reportedly decided to withdraw their interest in Leeds United winger Raphinha.

This claim comes from SPORT’s Joaquim Piera, who states that despite widespread interest from Arsenal and other clubs in the Premier League, Raphinha continues to hold out for a transfer to Barcelona this summer.

It is no secret that the 25-year-old is among the top targets for Barça heading into the summer market as they look to replace exit-bound winger Ousmane Dembele.

Personal terms have long been agreed between Raphinha and the Blaugrana, thanks to the club’s close ties with the Brazilian’s agent, Deco. However, a move appeared to have stalled in recent times due to the Catalans’ financial situation.

On top of that, clubs in the Premier League, particularly Arsenal, stepped up their efforts to sign the winger from Leeds United, leaving Barcelona staring at the risk of missing out on the former Rennes star.

However, as per the latest update from SPORT, the Gunners have now decided to call off their pursuit of the 25-year-old. The primary reason for Arsenal to back out is that Raphinha continues to remain steadfast on his desire to join Barcelona and is knocking away other offers that come for him.

At the same time, Arsenal are also set to sign Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City, which may have played a part in their decision to pull out of the race for Raphinha.

The report further adds that there is ‘complete harmony’ between Raphinha, Deco and Barcelona over the possibility of a transfer. It is claimed that the Catalans will launch their offer for him next week once the first ‘economic lever’ is activated.

Leeds United are demanding a sum of €50 million for their superstar, but Barça director Mateu Alemany has plans to drive that price down.

These claims completely contradict a report from The Athletic, which claimed that Arsenal are planning to ramp up their efforts to sign Raphinha and were planning to return with an improved offer for him after their first offer was rejected out of hand by Leeds.

So, it remains to be seen where Raphinha ends up as clubs continue to circle the Brazilian international.