Arsenal have been told that they must qualify for the Champions League if they want to stand a chance of signing Leeds United winger Raphinha in the summer transfer window. The Gunners have joined Chelsea and Barcelona in the race for the talented Brazilian, whose £25million release clause will become active this summer if the club are relegated. The Catalan giants are said to be leading the way but Mikel Arteta remains interested.
Last summer saw Arsenal splash over £140million on new transfers as the Spaniard put his stamp on the team. With the likes of Ben White, Aaron Ramsdale, Martin Odegaard and Takehiro Tomiyasu all excelling, there is no reason Arteta will not be backed significantly again in the summer.
Leeds manager Jesse Marsch commented on speculation linking the 25-year-old with a move to the Camp Nou ahead of their clash with Southampton on Saturday, saying: "[Raphinha is] a massive talent and my challenge is, despite all of the talk outside, is to have the relationship where we can focus on his development in helping the team while he is here.
"I haven't had a word with him about Deco or Barcelona. It should be out there because [he] is fantastic. I just want him to become the player I know he can be. Everyone here wants to enjoy the football he can play and of course we want him to stay as long as possible. Fantastic player and very good person."
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, their budget will be irrelevant in the pursuit of top talents like Raphinha if Arsenal do not qualify for the Champions League.
"For Arsenal, it’s going to be really important to understand whether they play Champions League or not, before they prepare the market," Romano told FIVE. "They are already working on some players - I mentioned Cody Gakpo as a player they ask information about, also Raphinha.
"Raphinha is now in talks with Barcelona, but Arsenal also asked for information about Raphinha, they’re keeping tabs on the situation. They’re preparing something but everything will be up to Champions League football - it’s about Champions League."
