Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United are reportedly interested in Barcelona winger Raphinha, who does not fit into Blaugrana’s long-term plans.
Raphinha’s future has once been the subject of speculation, with Spanish outlet Fichajes claiming Premier League sides Chelsea, Tottenham, and Newcastle United have all been in touch with Barcelona to express their interest in landing the Brazilian trickster during the summer transfer window.
Barcelona signed Raphinha from Leeds United in 2022 in a deal worth up to £55 million. He enjoyed a successful debut season at the club, as he played a key role in their title-winning campaign. In total, he has racked up 70 appearances so far for the Blaugrana, scoring 14 goals and providing 19 assists in the process.
Although Xavi’s side are currently languishing third in La Liga, they have seen plenty of their young upcoming stars take centre stage lately. Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal is enjoying a breakthrough season, and he has been handed plenty of first-team opportunities.
As a result of injuries and Yamal breaking through, Raphinha has not been able to hold down a consistent starting spot on the right wing for Barcelona. While Barcelona sporting director Deco still feels Raphinha can play a key role in the squad, the Catalans continue to face significant financial challenges. So, they may be forced to part ways with several players at the end of the season to balance the books.
Raphinha, who is rated at €50 million by the Catalans, has been linked with a departure from the Camp Nou for some time, and several Premier League clubs are interested in signing him. Chelsea, for one, remain interested in trying to entice Raphinha to Stamford Bridge in the next transfer window.
With Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital having spent in excess of £1 billion across their first three transfer windows, Chelsea have just endured a January where they made no senior additions.
Pochettino is well stocked for options in the final third, with Cole Palmer, Raheem Sterling, Mykhaylo Mudryk, and Noni Madueke able to operate from the flanks. But almost all of them have underperformed except for Palmer.
Newcastle United, meanwhile, sealed the acquisition of Manchester City youngster Alfie Harrison in a deadline-day deal worth up to £3.5 million. But just like Chelsea, they were unable to spend freely due to fears of breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
Eddie Howe will be running the rule over his entire squad at the end of the season as he seeks ways to boost cash, and it seems winger Miguel Almiron’s days at St James’ Park are numbered. If the Magpies can land a player of Raphinha’s calibre as the Paraguayan’s replacement, that would be deemed as a blockbuster upgrade. Tottenham will also look to sign a new winger in the summer after missing out on Club Brugge star Antonio Nusa last month.
