Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Leeds winger Raphinha as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his squad ahead of next season.
The Gunners are expected to strengthen their attacking options this summer after the departure of Alexandre Lacazette on a free transfer, with the Frenchman returning to Lyon, five years after moving to north London from the French outfit. Arsenal are still yet to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who left the club in the January transfer window and could opt for a more versatile forward who can play wide and centrally.
Raphinha was the star man for Leeds as the Whites narrowly avoided relegation last season, but the Brazilian has been heavily linked with a move away from Elland Road this summer. Gabriel Jesus is a target for the Gunners, but it's Jesus' Brazilian compatriot that is now rumoured to be on the Gunners' radar for a move to the Emirates ahead of next season.
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So, if Raphinha was to make the move to Arsenal in the summer, what sort of impact could he have on Arteta's side? Could the Brazil international help the Gunners qualify for the Champions League?
We simulated the 2022/23 season with Raphinha in the Arsenal squad and this is what happened.
We 'signed' Raphinha for Arsenal in July 2022
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for Raphinha to join Arsenal at the start of the summer transfer window, using FM22 to run the simulation. This is what Raphinha's in-game profile looks like on FM22.
Raphinha is an elite winger that excels in key attributes such as his Dribbling (16), First Touch (16), Technique (17), Flair (17), Acceleration (16) and Agility (16). The 25-year-old tends to shoot with power, tries long-range shots, gets into the opposition penalty box often and argues with officials.
Raphinha's attacking threat and impressive Work Rate (14), Off The Ball (15) and Stamina (15) shows that he can fit into Arteta's pressing tactical system whilst also contributing in attacking phases of play, as well as tracking back and helping out defensively. So, how did the Brazilian winger perform for the Gunners?
Raphinha made a total of 54 appearances in all competitions for Arteta's side, with the Brazilian becoming a key player under the Spaniard. Raphinha scored 16 goals and registered nine assists in the 2022/23 campaign, bettering Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard in terms of goals whilst being the sixth-best provider at the club.
The 25-year-old averaged a match rating of 7.26 in all competitions, suggesting Raphinha was a consistent top performer for the Gunners. The Brazil international ranked as the third-best performer at the club, only behind Saka (7.42) and Smith Rowe (7.28).
Raphinha bettered his xG rating of 11.93 by four goals showing that the Brazilian could be fairly clinical in front of goal for the Gunners. Raphinha's average tackle success rate of 84% was the highest out of any attacker at the club, highlighting the Brazilian's ability to win the ball back and retain possession, something that would suit Arteta's tactical system.
At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best Arsenal XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what the Gunners' best XI looked like at the end of the 2022-23 season as predicted by Football Manager 2022:
Full Arsenal best XI (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, Holding, White, Tierney; Odegaard, Freuler; Saka, Smith Rowe, Raphinha; Nketiah.
Raphinha replaced Gabriel Martinelli on the left-wing in Arteta's best XI with the latter rotating with Eddie Nketiah in the striker role. Martin Odegaard dropped into a deeper position alongside Thomas Partey, who missed out on featuring in the best XI due to new signing Remo Freuler who joined from Atalanta in January.
So, how did Arsenal perform in the league and cup competitions after signing Raphinha in the summer transfer window? Let's take a look.
Arsenal's results from the 2022/23 simulation:
Arsenal qualified for the Champions League after finishing fourth in the Premier League, six points ahead of north London rivals Tottenham. The Gunners finished inside the top four for the first time since the 2015/16 season, winning 23 of their 38 fixtures.
Compared to the 2021/22 season, Arteta's side finished one league position higher, with seven more points and a better goal difference by +11 (+24). The Gunners' league performance shows the impact that Raphinha had on the team as the Brazilian helped Arsenal leapfrog Spurs into a top-four spot.
Arsenal reached both domestic cup finals, winning the FA Cup following a 2-0 win over Sheffield United but falling to a 3-0 defeat against Spurs in the Carabao Cup. Arteta's side reached the Europa League semi-finals before being dumped out of the competition following a 3-2 aggregate defeat against AC Milan.
Overall, this Football Manager simulation predicts that if Arsenal were to sign Raphinha ahead of the 2022/23 season, he could help the Gunners win silverware, with the club also securing Champions League football for the first time in seven years. The Gunners could improve their league performance with Raphinha's contribution in attack, alongside the likes of Smith Rowe, Odegaard and Saka, whilst also competing in all competitions they were involved in, winning the FA Cup for the fifth time in nine years.
Would you like to see Raphinha sign for Arsenal this summer? Let us know in the comments!
