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Earlier today, reports emerged claiming that Manchester City had identified Barcelona winger Raphinha as a priority target to replace Riyad Mahrez, who is bound for Saudi Arabia.
Raphinha has been at the club for just one season, having joined from Leeds United last summer. Despite making a slow start, the 26-year-old winger enjoyed a solid debut campaign, playing a key role in the club’s La Liga triumph.
But given the club’s economic situation, Raphinha has been linked with a summer departure, with clubs from England and Saudi Arabia taking an interest in acquiring his services.
Manchester City are said to be the latest in line of admirers for Raphinha and are said to have made contact with Deco to explore the possibility of a transfer.
However, as per a fresh update from journalist Javi Miguel of AS, Barcelona consider the 26-year-old as a ‘non-transferable’ player, with manager Xavi Hernandez counting on him 100% for the upcoming campaign.
At the same time, Raphinha himself is not contemplating the possibility of a departure, meaning the chances of him leaving this summer are slim to none.
Raphinha made plenty of valuable contributions to Barça’s success last season, particularly during the time when Ousmane Dembele was out with an injury for a prolonged period.
In total, the 26-year-old scored ten goals and set up 12 more in 50 appearances across all competitions for the Catalan giants in his debut campaign.
Apart from his contributions in attack, Raphinha also impressed with his willingness to offer support defensively and his tireless work-rate.
Given the qualities he brings to the table, it is not surprising to see Xavi continue to count on Raphinha for the future. And with the player also not looking for a way out, Manchester City might be headed for disappointment in their pursuit of the Brazilian winger.
Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/barcelona-forward-non-transferable-amid-man-city-interest-xavi-100-counts-on-him/
Author : Michel Durant
Publish date : 2023-07-19 15:53:56
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