Arsenal: Rafinha transfer requires cautious optimism

Arsenal are supposedly being offered the chance to land Rafinha on the sly for very cheap. We recommend cautious optimism when viewing this rumor.

Arsenal’s transfer window has been full of moves and rumors of moves and we aren’t even through the first month or even the preseason tour. It’s pretty damn cool. Most of the needs have been addressed, but there are plenty of peripheral needs that could use some patching up.

For instance, finding a replacement for the decaying Santi Cazorla should be pretty high on that list of peripheral needs. The Granit Xhaka/Aaron Ramsey duo has done its part and deserves to be given the green light until something changes, but options are necessary and right now, there really aren’t any in those two holding rolls.

And then, from literally out of nowhere, SkySports delivered a bit of news that was equal parts shocking and, for lack of a better word, unbelievable. Supposedly Barcelona have offered Rafinha to the Gunners for just £27m.

Obviously the most reputable of sources, I rarely ever doubt the integrity of SkySports and I’m not doubting them now. It’s just so out of nowhere that it feels like there have to be some unreported strings attached. Like maybe they get first dibs at Hector Bellerin when he moves on. Something conniving like that.

But saying that this is a straight up, honest deal that Barcelona are proposing, then Wenger should be stumbling all over himself to find the checkbook. There is nothing to lose here. We have discussed other potential solutions, but none quite like Rafinha.

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He isn’t a big name guy, but that’s because he has been playing back-up to Neymar for years now. He also has a bit of an injury history, but it’s not like we would be purchasing him to be the go-to, undisputed champ of the midfield. We’d just need another solid option.

Rafinha has struggled to gain traction in any Barcelona campaign, but this past one certainly showed what he was capable of. Appearing for just over 1000 La Liga minutes, the 24 year old knocked home six goals and added another two assists, which is certainly worth attention.

There are parts of his game that might not live up, numerically, to what we would like to see, but you don’t really know how these things will develop until he is given a proper chance. While on loan to Celta Vigo, where he accounted for 2400 minutes in La Liga, his creation numbers were twice what they were in his bit part role at Barcelona.

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For the price being floated about, there is nothing to lose here. The only reason I’m not going gung ho after this rumor is simply because I’m still so skeptical that it could be this easy.

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