Arsenal Are Reportedly Considering Making A Move For Both Raphinha and Torres From Barcelona
Arsenal Are Reportedly Considering Making A Move For Both Raphinha and Torres From Barcelona
Arsenal is reportedly considering an ambitious move to acquire Barcelona attackers Raphinha and Ferran Torres in the upcoming summer transfer window. The duo faces potential departure from Camp Nou as the financially strained Barcelona seeks to reduce its wage bill significantly for the next season.
Only a select few players have been deemed indispensable by Barcelona, including 16-year-old attacker Lamine Yamal, as well as Pedri, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, and Ronald Araujo.
The reigning La Liga champions are reportedly willing to entertain suitable offers for all other senior players, potentially generating significant revenue from the sales of Raphinha and Torres.
According to HITC, Barcelona has now placed the wingers on the transfer market for the summer window, and Arsenal is keen on securing both players for the 2023-24 season at the Emirates.
Arsenal, along with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, were among the clubs vying to secure the services of Raphinha from Leeds United in the summer of 2022. However, Barcelona emerged as the victors in the race for his signature.
Barcelona paid nearly £50 million to acquire the 27-year-old, who has since recorded impressive statistics, tallying 15 goals and 20 assists in 74 appearances across all competitions, including winning the La Liga title in his debut season.
In the ongoing 2023-24 campaign, Raphinha has contributed five goals and eight assists in 24 games. However, his progress has been hindered by a couple of muscular injuries, limiting him to just nine starts in La Liga.
Despite being under contract until 2027, Raphinha may be allowed to depart for the right price, with a return to the Premier League appearing to be the most probable scenario for the Brazilian winger.
Additionally, there are reports suggesting that Tottenham, Arsenal’s North London rivals, could revive their interest in Raphinha. Moreover, he has attracted attention from other English clubs such as Liverpool, West Ham United, and Newcastle United.
Meanwhile, it’s been reported that Barcelona have informed Torres that they are open to considering offers for his services during the upcoming summer transfer window, marking just two-and-a-half years since his switch from Manchester City in January 2022.
The Spanish international initially joined the Premier League champions following Mikel Arteta’s departure for Arsenal. However, Torres is believed to be highly valued by the Gunners’ manager, particularly for his versatility.
During his time at Barcelona, Torres has demonstrated his adaptability by featuring centrally and on both flanks, amassing a total of 25 goals and 13 assists in 103 appearances. This season alone, he has contributed 11 goals and four assists across 32 outings.
Among his notable performances is a memorable hat-trick and an assist in a resounding 4-2 La Liga victory against Real Betis in January. Despite such contributions, Torres has been limited to just 10 La Liga starts this season and has been sidelined since the beginning of February due to a hamstring injury.
As a result, the 24-year-old will be absent from Sunday’s fixture against Athletic Bilbao. However, there’s optimism from Xavi’s camp that Torres will recover from his injury in time for the team’s upcoming trip to Mallorca on Friday.
