Arsenal's Sporting Director Edu in Ongoing Talks for Summer Signing of Barcelona's Raphinha

Reports suggest that Arsenal are interested in securing the signing of Raphinha, the former Leeds star who currently plays for Barcelona, during the upcoming summer transfer window. The club's sporting director, Edu, has reportedly been in frequent communication with the player's representatives. 

Arsenal have been keen on the Brazilian winger for some time, having attempted to acquire him last summer while he was still playing for Elland Road.

In June, The Athletic reported that Arsenal had made an offer to Leeds United for the signing of Raphinha, but the bid was turned down as it did not meet the valuation set by Leeds for their player. 

While both Arsenal and Chelsea were interested in Raphinha, the Brazilian winger ultimately decided to join Barcelona instead.

As reported by Fabrizio Romano on Sky Sports News, Edu stated that during the transfer negotiations, he was informed that Raphinha's preference was to join Camp Nou and not to be a part of Mikel Arteta's project at Arsenal.

Reports from Spain suggest that Arsenal are once again interested in signing Raphinha and are aiming to persuade him to join the club in North London this time.

According to Spanish outlet SPORT, Raphinha and his agent, former Barcelona star Deco, have received three offers for the player, with Arsenal, Chelsea, and Newcastle all reportedly expressing interest in signing him during the upcoming transfer window.

Earlier this month, journalist Gerard Romero reported that Eddie Howe's Newcastle United had submitted a bid of €80 million to secure the signing of Raphinha. This offer is reportedly higher than the €48 million that Barcelona had paid Leeds for the Brazilian winger's transfer last summer.

Given the potentially significant profit and the continuing financial difficulties faced by Barcelona, it is possible that they may find it difficult to reject the offer from Newcastle.

 However, SPORT also reports that Arsenal has not given up on signing Raphinha and is said to be in frequent contact with Deco in their efforts to secure the player's services.

It has been reported that a transfer fee in the range of €70-80 million could be enough to secure Raphinha's move to Arsenal. If the Gunners succeed in signing the Brazilian winger, they will aim to add him to their list of successful Brazilian players in recent years, including Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Gabriel Jesus.