Robert Lewandowski of FC Barcelona celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with team mate Raphinha during the Spanish Super Cup Final against Real Madrid. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Barcelona’s well documented financial problems are showing no signs of easing, and the Catalans are bracing themselves for a €100m bid from Man City for Raphinha.
According to TeamTalk, the reigning Premier League champions are looking to do a deal for the Brazilian – who has 31 G/A this season (transfermarkt) – in the summer.
Arsenal still covet the winger, however, TeamTalk also understand that any offer from the Gunners would be much lower than City’s, effectively ruling them out of the running.
Raphinha could be Man City’s big summer signing
There’s even a suggestion that Chelsea want Raphinha, so it’s entirely possible that a bidding war could commence once the 2024/25 season is over.
Of course, none of the potential bids are taking into account whether the player actually wants to move back to the Premier League or not.
He’s having a magnificent season in La Liga, and the responsibility of the captaincy in the absence of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong has been the making of him.
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There’s been no suggestion whatsoever that Raphinha wants to leave the Blaugranes, and theoretically the only way that such a move is likely to be on the cards is if president, Joan Laporta, leans on the player and his representatives because the club still need money into club coffers.
Arsenal and Chelsea also chasing Raphinha
With Laporta’s stock seemingly at an all-time low with supporters, that’s a course of action that he would be ill-advised to take, though in football you can never say never of course.
For now, the Brazilian can concentrate on helping his club to a successful end to the season.
Having already won the Spanish Super Cup, Barca are in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey and will almost certainly qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
Though they’ve slipped behind Real Madrid in the race for the Spanish top-flight title, they’re not out of the race there either.
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