Barcelona midfield ace Rafinha is keen on a move to Premier League amid interest from Everton and Wolves.
According to Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, Everton and Wolves have both enquired about the availability of Rafinha.
Barcelona were willing to sell the midfielder to Celta Vigo, where he spent the 2019/20 season on loan, earlier this summer. Rafinha, however, pulled the plug on a permanent move to Celta.
Instead, he is keen to move to the Premier League, thus putting clubs like Everton and Wolves on red alert. The midfielder reportedly has a release clause worth €16 million, which shouldn’t be a problem for any English club.
At Barcelona, Rafinha never had the best of luck, often struggling to make it into the first-team due to some serious competition in central midfield. And the Brazilian was unsurprisingly shipped out on loan last summer, following the arrival of Frenkie de Jong, who has emerged as a key component in Quique Setien’s unit.
Rafinha has impressed during his short stint at Celta Vigo, making 32 league appearances. His creativity and goal involvements helped the club somehow survive relegation by just a point.
Nevertheless, a move to Premier League is indeed an exciting proposition for a midfielder, who is keen on reviving his career and showcasing his true potential. Everton, for one, could be an intriguing destination as he will get to play under the eccentric Carlo Ancelotti.
The Toffees are actively searching for midfielders this summer following the underwhelming performances of Andre Gomes as well as the injury problems of last summer’s marquee signing, Jean-Philippe Gbamin. Rafinha, in that regard, should be an ideal alternative, providing additional bite in the creative department.
At Wolves, meanwhile, the Barcelona star could establish himself as a regular first-team starter alongside Ruben Neves as the club is keen to find a long-term replacement for the ageing Joao Moutinho.
As for Barcelona, Rafinha will be good riddance as the Catalans look to reshape their team after missing out on the league title. Their acquisition of Miralem Pjanic in a controversial swap deal has already drawn in a lot of criticism.
However, the potential departure of Rafinha could help them make space for another midfielder, although the club is yet to actually make any waves in the transfer so far. Manchester City defender Eric Garcia has been the only one strongly linked with a return to the Nou Camp in recent days.
