London rivals Tottenham and Chelsea are both eyeing up a move for Barcelona winger Raphinha this summer, according to reports.
Raphinha joined the Blaugrana from Leeds United in July 2022 after scoring 17 goals and providing 12 assists in 67 appearances for the Yorkshire outfit.
He quickly became a fan favourite at Elland Road after joining the club from French side Rennes for around £17million in October 2020.
The Brazilian has not hit the same heights at the Nou Camp, though it is fair to say the expectations and competition is a little different than it is at Leeds.
Barcelona paid around £55m to land Raphinha from Leeds but have been more impressed by youth player Lamine Yamal, who has burst on to the scene at 16 years of age.
The La Liga giants signed Raphinha from the Whites despite all of their financial troubles, which are the reason rumours of an exit for the 27-year-old crop up every couple of months.
Arsenal and Chelsea tried to sign him from Leeds but the player was always prioritising a move to Barcelona.
Rumours of a move back to the Premier League have never faded away with Barca seemingly open to selling a star player or two in every transfer window.
Xavi’s side are always looking to raise funds to ease their financial pressure and Raphinha’s name is one that consistently comes up, as does Frenkie de Jong and Jules Kounde.
The Gunners seem to have gotten over their failure to sign Raphinha, but Chelsea are still interested, as are Tottenham, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.
It is claimed that the Brazil winger’s future in Catalonia ‘is at stake’ amidst Yamal’s form in Xavi’s team.
He essentially has four months to save his Barca career and if he fails to improve between now and the end of the season, he will be available in the summer transfer window.
Barca would be eager to ‘recoup their investment’ in the former Leeds man and ‘all roads point to him being one of the chosen ones to leave’.
Sporting director Deco has previously put his faith in Raphinha but a combination of injuries and failing to excel in crucial matches has seen the former midfielder become open to a sale.
While the player’s numbers ‘aren’t bad’, they are ‘not great either’, making it hard to justify the £55m the club spent on him in 2022.
Another aspect that will make his sale more likely is if Joao Felix joins permanently from Atletico Madrid at the end of the season.
Raphinha essentially has four months to save his Barca career. The report states: ‘The only thing that can save him is that in the decisive stretch of the season he brings out his best football to convince everyone that he can be a top-level player at Barca’.
It is noted that ‘several Premier League clubs have him in their portfolio’, with Newcastle United seeing a bid for Raphinha rejected last summer.
Meanwhile, Chelsea and Spurs ‘would be willing to bid for him’ in the summer. There is also interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia.
This is another one of those stories that comes back to Barca’s need to sell players, and Raphinha being one of the most likely to be sacrificed.
‘Loved by the coaching staff’, the La Liga champions ‘understand that he must do more’ and know ‘the club needs to make some millionaire sales so if he is chosen he will be pressured’.
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