FC Barcelona have had a decent first half of the season, but given the promising start to life under Hansi Flick, there may be a sense of disappointment lingering over how November and December unfolded.
Regardless of the team’s results, one player who stood out as the epitome of consistency in Barcelona’s squad during the first half of the season was Brazilian attacker Raphinha, who has experienced a remarkable career resurgence.
Raphinha has recorded 17 goals and 8 assists in 25 appearances across all competitions this season. One could argue that his numbers might have been even higher if his teammates had converted more of the chances he has created.
Despite not being on penalty duty for Barcelona except when Robert Lewandowski is not on the pitch, the Brazilian has put up numbers that rank him among the upper echelons in terms of individual performances in Europe so far.
Despite all this, as per Fichajes, the current Barcelona captain might be sacrificed next summer to make funds available for the arrival of a blockbuster signing – with players like Nico Williams and Jamal Musiala mentioned.
Even on a surface level, this transfer seems to make no sense. Raphinha is finally coming into his own in a Barcelona shirt and has recently earned the armband as well and there is no reason the club would entertain a sale for him, irrespective of the offer.
Musiala is not a replacement for Raphinha despite his ability to play from the left and one would assume that signing the German does not make much sporting sense as long as Dani Olmo is still at the club. The Spaniard is more or less similar to the Bayern man in terms of playstyle.
Nico on the other hand would be a good signing for the club but definitely not at the cost of sacrificing Raphinha. What Barcelona should do is extend the Brazilian’s deal and secure his future at the club and let’s wait and see how it plays out.
