Barcelona brought in Raphinha from Leeds United in 2022 but after just two seasons, the Catalans might be preparing to send him back to the Premier League.
Last season, the winger had scored 10 and assisted 12 goals in 50 appearances and this campaign, he has the exact same figures but in only 37 appearances across all competitions. These stats show that the winger is still an important player for Barcelona but with clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool and also Spurs interested in signing him, Barca might be forced to cash in on him.
Arsenal want to add depth to their right flank and Mikel Arteta feels signing Raphinha will add some healthy competition for Bukayo Saka. Liverpool, on the other hand, are looking at the Brazilian international as the long-term replacement for Mo Salah who has been tipped to join the Saudi Pro League at the end of this season. Salah has just over a year remaining in his contract and Liverpool are set to be bracing themselves for a major offer from Al Ittihad.
Here’s why Barcelona will offload Raphinha in the summer:
The first major reason why Barcelona will cash in on the winger is because they need funds and the 27-year-old is one of the few players who can bring in a major transfer fee. His market value is €50 million and with Liverpool, Spurs and Arsenal keen to sign him, Barca can easily get around €65-70 million for him.
Raphinha is the sixth most valuable player in the current Barcelona squad but the top players like Gavi, Pedri and Yamal will not be up for sale. This leaves players like Araujo, De Jong and Raphinha vulnerable to a potential summer exit.
Secondly, the Catalans could offload Raphinha because they have Lamine Yamal in their squad and the 16-year-old is a future star of the club. This is his first proper senior season and he’s already given Raphinha a run for his money with 21 La Liga starts. The performances he has given(5 goals and 5 assists) have given Barcelona major confidence to let Raphinha leave in the coming months.
The kind of financial distress they are in, the Catalans have to rely on academy graduates and Yamal is the best of the crop right now. Also, if Barcelona can get a good enough transfer fee from Raphinha’s sale then they will be able to use that money to sign other targets like Bernardo Silva or Nico Williams.
Talking about Raphinha and his desires, the Brazilian international is more than happy at Camp Nou but at the same time, he is also aware of all the exit talks. As per some rumours, he is willing to leave the club only if he gets to return to the Premier League next season.
Tottenham Hotspur have also been mentioned in the list of admirers and while Raphinha will be able to get a lot more game time under Ange as compared to a move to Arsenal or Liverpool, without Champions League football, it will be almost impossible for Spurs to convince the 27-year-old to join them.
Stats via Fotmob.