£55m star Arteta tried to sign admits he really likes Arsenal, he didn’t hesitate

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Barcelona star Raphinha has admitted his admiration for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta has already tried to sign Raphinha at Arsenal in the past, before the then-Leeds United winger secured a £55 million switch to Barcelona.

It is hard to begrudge any player opting for a move to Barcelona. The La Liga giants are one of the most famous and historic clubs on the planet. 

However, things haven’t been entirely plain-sailing for Raphinha in Spain since the Brazilian made his move in 2022. It took the 27-year-old a while to settle in at the Camp Nou. Despite this, in his first season, he was still able to make 50 appearances across all competitions and chip in with 10 goals and 12 assists.

So far in the current campaign, the 20-cap Brazil international has featured 20 times for Barcelona, but has only found the back of the net on four occasions.

There is no denying the player’s supreme talent, but he is yet to hit the heights in Spain that he reached in his days at Elland Road, where he was truly the main man and the attacking heartbeat of the team.

Raphinha opens up on feelings about Arsenal

It is fascinating to speculate about how Raphinha might have fared had he remained in the Premier League and made the switch to Arsenal instead. As a left-footed right-winger, he would have been in direct competition for game time with Bukayo Saka. The Brazilian may well have ended up playing second fiddle to the England star at the Emirates Stadium, or his arrival could have halted the Hale End academy graduate’s progression.

One thing that is clear, though, is that Arsenal hold a place in Raphinha’s heart. In a recent quick-fire interview with TikTok content creator Adri Contreras, the attacker was asked which clubs outside of Spain does he like. Without hesitation, he named Arsenal.

The Gunners’ reputation has grown in the last couple of years, as Arteta has restored the club to the Champions League and made Arsenal genuine Premier League title contenders once again. The Spanish coach has built a young, talented, and hungry squad at the Emirates Stadium, eager to make their mark on the game and get their hands on some major silverware.

Arsenal are as attractive a destination as ever to players right now, it is hard not to wonder if some small part of Raphinha regrets not making the move to north London when he had the chance.