Arsenal are once again being linked with Brazilian forward Raphinha. The 27-year-old has found himself out of favour at Barcelona after losing his starting position to Lamine Yamal on the right wing.

With La Blaugrana also keen to bring Nico Williams to the Nou Camp, Raphinha has been reportedly offered to a host of Premier League teams as he seeks regular first team football again. Among the teams mentioned have been Newcastle, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United. Arsenal are also said to have been made aware of the Leeds forward’s situation.

It’s a familiar target for the Gunners who tried to sign Raphinha two years ago. After securing a deal for Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal were keen to bolster their attacking line further by adding the forward who was coming off a season in which he had netted 11 times in 35 games for Leeds. Raphinha was viewed as a player who could provide competition for Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli out wide and also as someone who could even operate in the false nine position if needed.

Edu made contact with Deco, who was Raphinha’s agent at the time. However, the Arsenal sporting director was quickly informed that Raphinha’s only preference was to join Barcelona. He went on to move to the Nou Camp that summer and has enjoyed a decent spell there, scoring 20 goals and assisting 25 more in 87 appearances.

With the Brazilian potentially available again this summer, Arsenal may have an advantage over their Premier League competitors though. Deco is now sporting director at Barcelona having dissolved his D20 agency in order to take on the role. The former Chelsea midfielder maintains a strong relationship with Edu however, and if Arsenal were to move for Raphinha this could help secure a speedy deal.

It remains to be seen if Arsenal will look to take up this option. Since missing out on Raphinha the Gunners have added Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz to their attack. They would still get a player who can add to their forward line this summer to compliment a strike force that scored the club’s record number of Premier League goals last season. However, they are likely to target a younger player who can be a long-term solution.

Instead it seems more likely that Edu and Deco will be competitors rather than collaborators this summer as they both go for the signature of Nico Williams. The Athletic Bilbao star will cost a hefty fee after an outstanding Euros, and his wages could be a decisive factor too.