Inter Milan are reportedly close to signing Barcelona midfielder Rafinha, with the club’s sporting director having recently head talks with the Catalans’ representatives.

Rafinha was reportedly a target for Arsenal during the summer, but he could now be moving else where. According to Premium Sport via talkSPORT, Inter Milan’s sporting director Piero Ausilio flew to Barcelona on Tuesday to hold talks about the midfielder.

It’s reported that they will sign him on loan for the remainder of the season, with the option of buying him permanently afterwards.

Calling Rafinha an Arsenal target is a stretch, given there have been zero serious links with the player. He, along with the rest of Barcelona’s midfield deadwood, have been linked with the club at various stages of the season.

It’s clear that the club’s priority this month is not their midfield. While we could do with strengthening our options in the engine room, the sale of Alexis Sanchez and bringing in a suitable replacement are a far greater concern at the moment.

Even if we were looking for midfielders, Rafinha would be low on the list on targets. The Brazilian has had horrible luck with injuries and is far from match fit. The chances of him having an immediate impact on our season would be small.