Report: Arsenal have made an offer for £51.5m player, but CL club have told him to wait for them to bid

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Barcelona want Raphinha to wait before making a decision on his future amid growing interest from Arsenal.

Spanish outlet Sport report that Barca want to meet Raphinha’s agent Deco next week to see what can be done.

They say that Arsenal have already made an offer of €60 million (£51.5 million), while Barcelona have an agreement over personal terms but not the fee.

The Nou Camp club are clearly trying to buy themselves some time to plot their next move for a player they have been keen to sign for months.

Barcelona want Raphinha to wait

Barcelona have asked the Brazilian to wait a week for Deco to meet them to see if the transfer is feasible or the winger has free rein to go to Arsenal.

They say the Gunners’ official bid contains a mixture of guaranteed cash and add-ons, which Leeds would theoretically agree to.

Barcelona really want him to replace Ousmane Dembélé, but they need time to prepare an offer that can compete to sign him, with their financial issues.

It seems that if Raphinha really only wants to come to the club who can offer him Champions League football, a deal could be done.

Raphinha reportedly told Leeds staff not long after the end of the season that he wanted to leave, and at that stage, Barca were the frontrunners.

But their financial situation means they cannot just come up with the money required without some creative thinking, and that has opened the door for other suitors including Arsenal.

The Gunners are really trying to force their way through the door, and the outcome of this meeting between Deco and Barca next week could be hugely important for Mikel Arteta.