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Arsenal warned £50m bid not enough for Raphinha as Premier League rivals monitor
LEEDS UNITED winger Raphinha has been linked with a move to Arsenal.
Arsenal's Premier League Fixtures 2022/23
Simon Jordan has warned Arsenal that their rumoured bid of £50million for Leeds United winger Raphinha is “not enough”, and claimed that they may be forced to pay up to £80m for Jesse Marsch’s prized asset. Barcelona have also been strongly linked with the Brazil international, while Chelsea and Liverpool have been credited with an interest in Raphinha.
Goal Spain have claimed that Arsenal are “very close” to completing a move for the 25-year-old and will meet Leeds’ asking price of £43million (€50m), but former Crystal Palace owner Jordan thinks that he could go for much more. “Not enough,” Jordan said when asked about Arsenal’s potential £43m bid for Raphinha. “Not enough for Leeds. He’s a good player, integral part of Leeds, he’s a very very talented footballer from the same genre of Riyad Mahrez.
“If Leeds are going to be forced into a situation where they sell him because Arsenal are currently doing better, they’ve got to pay top, top money that’s what Leeds have to and what [Leeds owner Andrea] Radrizzani has to achieve.
“For Raphinha, as much as I can get, if they offer me £50m, I want £70m, if they offer me £70m, I want £80m - I’d want them to work as they can and sweat the asset and make sure they get nothing from me that was vaguely resembling what they thought was a deal.”
Raphinha had been thought to be closer to a move to Barcelona, with the player’s agent Deco’s previous links to the club thought to have been playing in their favour, however with the Spanish giant’s financial uncertainty, the Brazil winger may not want to wait to have his future clarified.
Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo have claimed that Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool have expressed an interest in Raphinha while Manchester United reportedly have outbid Barcelona as they look to bolster their forward options.
Leeds could also lose England midfielder Kalvin Phillips this summer, as Manchester City eye him as a possible replacement for Fernandinho. Jim White told talkSPORT that Leeds are yet to receive any concrete options for either player, as co-host Jordan believes that they will look to get maximum value if either player does leave Elland Road this summer.
“If Leeds United are going to sell these players, clubs like Man City who aren’t bigger clubs but bigger in their achievements, then these players are going to want to go there,” Jordan said. “What you want to achieve is the maximum amount of money, you want your best players, the players that we have cultivated and developed, hopefully they’ve got the contracts to protect that.
“You’ve got to pay the top money so that Leeds United can kick on, regain their poise and regain their development back to the big club that their stature and size details they could and should be.”