Arsenal tried to sign Raphinha in the January window for a reported €70 million, according to recent reports.
It was no secret that the Gunners were trying to strengthen their forward line in the last window, with their priority target, Mykhailo Mudryk opting for Chelsea instead.
After they received the crushing news they turned their attention to a backup player, with fans speculating on the potential player’s identity for the final week of the window. Many names were mentioned including Barcelona’s winger Raphinha but Mikel Arteta opted for a cheaper player, Leandro Trossard.
But it has now been revealed by SPORT, that Arsenal did, in fact, offer to sign the Brazilian for around the €70 million mark but it was declined by the La Liga leaders.
🚨 Barcelona REJECTED a €70m offer from Arsenal for Raphinha this winter. ❌💰
(Source: @sport) pic.twitter.com/Zf0x08nziB
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) February 23, 2023
The Gunners initially tried to get his signature in the summer but after a long saga which also included Chelsea, Raphinha chose his ‘dream move’ to the Catalan side.
His arrival would have been huge for Arteta and the title charge but it was always going to be difficult to lure a new player away from the club.