According to a report from Mirror, it was mentioned that Arsenal have now set their sights on Barcelona star Raphinha after missing out on Mykhaylo Mudryk. It is understood that the Gunners have made contact with the Brazilian winger’s agent hoping to be successful this time.
Raphinha’s Campaign At Barcelona So Far
Raphinha is enjoying a decent campaign at Nou Camp despite coming off the bench as an impact substitute most of the time. He has found the back of the net on two occasions and has secured four assists so far this season, on all fronts.
The Brazilian speedster has mostly come off the bench as an impact substitute but has proven to be reliable in the final third by averaging 2.1 shots, 1.5 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per game in La Liga. He has also been tidy with his ball distribution after completing 80.4% of his attempted passes in the Spanish top flight (stats via whoscored).
Should Arteta Bring Him To Arsenal?
Raphinha has got the pace to cause a lot of headaches for his marker out on the flanks. He is an excellent dribbler with the ball and can shoot the ball with power from long range. The Brazilian talent can be a good finisher in front of the opposition goal when he is playing with confidence on the pitch. He is primarily a right-sided wide player but can even feature as a left-winger if required.
The Gunners can definitely make use of Raphinha’s skillset to increase competition for places within the match-day squad. However, the Brazil international would only move away from Barca if he is offered more minutes on the pitch.
The 26-year-old is currently in his prime, so the North London club can expect to get the best out of him over the coming seasons. Thus, Mikel Arteta should definitely get him on board as he can make an instant impact upon his arrival having already played at a high level in the Premier League.
