In addition to offloading the fringe players in the squad, FC Barcelona need to make at least one big sale to cut down on their wage bill and remain within their FFP constraints. The club has already identified some players that can be sacrificed for the financial well-being of the club.
According to previous reports, Raphinha was one such player the club was open to transferring if a good offer came in. The Brazilian had a mixed first season at the club. He was not an automatic starter in Xavi’s lineup, but he played a good number of matches in the last season as Ousmane Dembele was out with an injury.
Furthermore, the Brazilian also had a good market value, and was high in demand across different clubs not only in Europe. He was also reported to be in the eyes of a Saudi club, but a firm offer for him has not come in yet.
However, this status of the player has changed in recent days. According to Javi Miguel, Raphinha is considered non-transferable today by the club. The Barcelona head coach, Xavi, has Raphinha as an integral part of his plans, and the Brazilian himself also does not want to leave the Catalan club.
Raphinha has shown a desire to continue at FC Barcelona ever since he came to the club, and has shown a willingness to fight for a position in Xavi’s squad. However, with Ousmane Dembele’s recovery and Ansu Fati’s resurgence at the end of last season, Raphinha would face increased competition for a place in the lineup in the coming season.