‘Race still open’ for in-demand Tottenham target but Arsenal schedule fresh meeting

Fabrizio Romano: Arsenal to meet Leeds next week for Raphinha with Tottenham interested

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Arsenal will meet with Leeds United again next week for Raphinha, a player Tottenham Hotspur are in talks with the transfer race still ‘open’.

Last week, Arsenal saw their bid for Raphinha get rejected. The bid was below the valuation placed by the Whites on their star Brazilian winger, and now the two teams are set to meet once again to sort out a potential deal.

Tottenham are still interested in the winger, though they have not submitted an official offer for him. They have been in contact with his agent, Deco, who was famously a player for Chelsea in the past- a team in the race for the former Rennes superstar.

Leeds value their star winger at £65 million and expect offers near their valuation to open talks with anyone. For a team that fought relegation last season until the final whistle of gameweek 38, Raphinha’s importance to their club is priceless.

A move on the cards?

Raphinha has been a fan favourite ever since his move to Elland Road from the French side Stade Rennais in 2020. The 25-year-old played a crucial part last season to help his side survive another season in the Premier League.

The Brazilian made a total of 36 appearances for the club last campaign, scoring 11 and assisting 3, including scoring a penalty on the last day to help seal their survival. It is no surprise that he has a host of clubs knocking on the door for his service.

Antonio Conte has been revamping his squad this summer. Signing Raphinha will help in adding depth to the attack and also increase competition among players.

However, his signature will neither come easy nor cheap, and Spurs will have to play their cards right if they want to sign the winger.

Spurs have already signed Ivan Perisic and already have Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski in the attack. Adding Raphinha would make their attack one of the deadliest in the League and could help Conte win silverware with the London outfit.

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Tottenham could lure the player by offering Champions League nights, something which Arsenal can’t. But such deals aren’t easy to complete and there are several factors that can influence them. Hopefully, Spurs can get ahead of the competition and seal a deal for the exciting South American attacker.