Like the rest of European clubs, FC Barcelona are also not safe from the threat of Saudi football. The Catalans saw one of their midfielder, Franck Kessie, leave for the Middle East last summer but were able to retain other stars that attracted the interest of the Saudi Arabian clubs.
However, as Mundo Deportivo has reported, the Saudis are highly likely to return to lure some Barcelona stars this summer as well, and three players are particularly prone to getting highly attractive offers from the Middle East.
One of these players is the Brazilian winger Raphinha. The 27-year-old has already received offers from the Saudis in the past, but he rejected the move because he wanted to stay and succeed at Barcelona.
However, the Arabs will once come to check if Raphinha’s resolve is still as strong, especially as some reports coming from the Spanish media indicate that the Brazilian is looking for a way out of Barcelona because of Lamine Yamal’s ascent.
Raphinha has a contract till 2027 and had cost Barcelona €58 million in fixed and another €9 million in variables. Now, he needs to amortize only one-half of his costs, a sum that a committed Saudi club can easily afford.
The Polish striker Robert Lewandowski is another player who continues to attract interest from Saudi Arabia. He has two years still on his Barcelona contract, and the Catalans want him to remain for at least another season, as Vitor Roque has only just arrived at the club.
But the Catalans are also aware of the proposals that Lewandowski’s agent has received from Saudi Arabia, which offers very high wages to the striker. Everything depends on the choice that the Pole makes, but neither he nor his wife seems too open to going to the Middle East as of now.
Lastly, as recently reported, the goalkeeper Marc Andre Ter Stegen has also been a subject of interest from the Middle East. Although the news regarding the Saudi interest has been denied by the German’s entourage, Barcelona know that a big Saudi club wants him.
Being one of the most senior players and captains of the team, it seems difficult that Ter Stegen would leave Barcelona for Arabia. However, if he wants to end his career with a bumper cheque, the option of playing in Saudi Arabia can allure him.
