Raphinha remark appears to hand Chelsea the edge over Arsenal in transfer battle

Leeds United winger Raphinha is the subject of the most enthralling transfer saga of the summer so far as Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona are all desperate for his signature.

The Brazilian is reported to have agreed personal terms with the La Liga giants months ago, but Barcelona's perilous financial situation has made matching Leeds' £65million valuation particularly difficult. The Catalan giants have been in discussions with Raphinha's agent - former Camp Nou and Chelsea star Deco, for the longest time out of the three clubs.

Arsenal were the first of the trio to actually submit a bid, but it was one that was swiftly rejected by the Elland Road hierarchy after reportedly coming nearly £30m short of the asking price. The saga took another turn on Monday evening when news broke of Chelsea gazumping the Gunners' second offer.

Mikel Arteta's men were in the process of submitting a second verbal offer when the Blues slapped an offer of £55m plus add-ons the table. Given the bulk of Chelsea's offer would be paid immediately, it is currently the most attractive proposal from a Leeds perspective.

There have been question marks surrounding why Chelsea are actually pursuing another winger when considering their options out wide are already fairly stacked and Raheem Sterling is also expected to arrive at Stamford Bridge this summer from Manchester City.

However, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel is keen on using all of the options Chelsea have on the flanks at times throughout the season and could even deploy Raphinha and/or Sterling in wing-back positions - something the former is totally comfortable with.

Speaking mid-way through last season, the Brazil international confessed he relishes the defensive work as much as attacking play. "These days my position isn't just about making things happen in attack, you also have to be very responsible in defence," Raphinha told Sky Sports.

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"Ever since I started playing football I've always liked this part of the game, the intensity of running forward and tracking back I think the style of play of the professor's [Marcelo Bielsa] Leeds really suits my style of play.

"Thinking about what I do best - my speed and ability with the ball, it's always important that a player is conscious that they must contribute as much in defence as they do in attack."

That kind of mentality and willingness to work for the greater good of the team is an attitude that would be attractive to any side. However, given Tuchel's system would actually utilise Raphinha's defensive capabilities - it could be another positive to Chelsea's proposal over Arsenal's.