When Raphinha was leaving Leeds United back in the summer of 2022, the Reds were reportedly quite interested in signing him. The Brazilian, however, was adamant about joining Barcelona, and in the end, he did.
Raphinha’s stay in Spain hasn’t been smooth since. Football Transfers state that despite being a consistent starter, the 26-year-old has “failed to have the desired impact.”
They assert that Barca is now “keen on cashing in” on the former Leeds player as a result, in an effort to raise money.
According to reports, the Spanish conglomerates began attempting to sell Raphinha as early as January 2023. However, no one seemed interested despite the asking price reportedly being put at over £87 million. Now, it’s rumored that Barca will accept £61 million for the Brazil international in exchange for a decrease, since they are keen to replenish their barren coffers.
There will apparently be other bidders at that price. Liverpool is regrettably not listed as one of them at this time. It would seem that Newcastle United, Chelsea, and Arsenal are the front-runners. Raphinha, meanwhile, is rumored to have no desire to leave Camp Nou.
Barca listed Raphinha as a buy.
If this allegation is true, Raphinha’s situation is quite heartbreaking. In order to fulfill his dream of joining Barcelona last year, he turned down numerous interested Premier League teams.
However, Barca responded pretty callously, as they have done several times recently.
Raphinha hasn’t exactly been impoverished for them either. While he hasn’t quite reached the same level as Robert Lewandowski, who joined at the same time, he nevertheless scored 10 goals in the previous season and three this one.
He may not be exactly what Barcelona was hoping for, but he is still an extremely valuable player.
However, they might need to reduce their asking price once more if they are serious about moving the former Leeds player. It’s not a bad output, but it’s hardly what you would expect from a player for £61 million.
Raphinha is approaching his 27th birthday and is no longer a child. In the event that he decides to leave, everyone will look on him to be a vital member of the team.
There isn’t any evidence as of now that that could apply to Liverpool. However, we continue to think that he could be, having been considered an eventual Mohamed Salah replacement eighteen months ago.
Next summer, if Salah decides to leave Liverpool, the Reds might fare worse than Raphinha. Nothing urgent, by any means, but it’s still something to watch