With the summer transfer market in full flow, FC Barcelona are seeing several of their players being linked to a move away from the club. The latest player that has reportedly received an offer for a move away from Catalonia is the Brazilian winger Raphinha.
The journalist Achraf Ben Ayad recently disclosed on his Twitter account that Raphinha had received an offer from Saudi Arabia. However, further details about the club or the amount of money involved in the transfer were not revealed.
Now, Diario AS reports that this operation is highly unlikely to be successful. Firstly, Raphinha is still only twenty-six years old, and at this stage of his career, he would be unlikely to go to a destination like Saudi Arabia, which, despite recent investments, does not have a competitive enough league or environment.
The player himself is keen to continue at FC Barcelona, as was clear from his comments after the end of last season. The player had a good last season at Barcelona, which saw him make Xavi’s lineup fifty times, give twelve assists, and score ten goals.
Another motivation for Raphinha to stay at Barcelona is his aim of remaining a relevant player for Brazil. He wants to represent his country in the Copa America next year but has already lost his place in the Selecao squad.
He has not been a part of the two Brazil squads since the World Cup, and moving to Saudi Arabia would further jeopardize his chances of making the highly competitive Brazil lineup.
Xavi also wants him to stay in the club and deems him untransferable this summer, even though the Brazilian is not entirely compatible with Dembele. Both these players play on the right wing, and the last season showed that none of them is up to par when playing on the left. Still, Xavi believes the presence of Raphinha is important, keeping in view the injury record of Dembele.
Thus, while the offer from Saudi Arabia can be a financial boost for Barcelona, both Xavi, and Raphinha would not want such a transfer to materialise. Still, nothing is certain, and the club’s hand can be forced in this regard by its financial struggles.
