Ruben Amorim has been faced with a massive right-sided conundrum going into the upcoming season as the Portuguese head coach looks to find some consistency on that right wing, and the Premier League heavyweights are said to have identified Barcelona wide forward Raphinha as a possible target to compound their right channel.
And to bring the Brazilian ace to Old Trafford, the chiefs at Carrington have launched a record-breaking €150 million offer to secure his signature.
The pursuit of the former Leeds United ace comes as a result of the Premier League heavyweights’ complicated pursuit of Brentford ace Mbeumo given the presence of Tottenham Hotspur in the race for his signature. But now, it looks like the Premier League heavyweights have pivoted as they compound their efforts to land the Barcelona star.
While the Spanish giants are not willing to sell Raphinha, a bid with the finances that United are presenting may force them to change their stance.
Manchester United and that right flank conundrum
Amorim needs someone like Raphinha at M16
The Manchester Reds have been struggling to find a sense of consistency when it comes to right wing given how Antony has been underwhelming since moving to Old Trafford, and there is a high possibility that he could be sold this summer. Then coming on to Amad Diallo, while he has shown flashes of brilliance, he is nowhere near as consistent, given his inexperience. Also, it doesn’t look like Jason Sancho will be reintegrated into the roster.
That opens the door for someone like Raphinha, who not only brings Premier League experience but also has the capacity to fit stylistically with the kind of wide-forward profile that Amorim prefers in his 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 system.
How can Raphinha fit in tactically under Ruben Amorim?
Manchester United are looking to swoop Raphinha away in a swap deal involving Jadon Sancho
Manchester United are looking to swoop Raphinha away from Barca
If we go back to how Ruben Amorim played at Sporting Lisbon, he put forward a narrow three where wide forwards tried to get between full-backs and centre-backs. And he tried to have high-pressing wingers who have the capacity to initiate pressing triggers. Moreover, he tried to incorporate channel wingers who are a threat at ball-carrying in transitional situations. And the thing is, Raphinha fits all three, given how he is an elite ball carrier complemented by his strong one-vs-one ability (especially when he is cutting inside from the right). He is also a high-energy presser who is good at recovering the ball in the final third.
With Raphinha, he brings that high touchline presence given how he is good at stretching defences and dragging opponents outside whilst opening space for the likes of Bruno Fernandes or Cunha centrally.
When we are talking about a 3-4-2-1 matchup, Amorim likes to tweak it into two inside creators operating behind a striker, where he can use Raphinha to start out wide but with the ball go into that inward movement into zone 14, and then here he can get to combine with a right-sided interior, and you have Dalot or another overlapping wing-back in an underlap/overlap pattern.
This intelligence, where he positions himself between the lines, helps Man United to form an attacking diamond sequence in that right flank, which could also be crucial in helping them to unlock mid-blocks.
When it comes to Amorim’s system, he likes to create transitional threats, and this is where he can grab the most out of Raphinha’s game, given how the Brazilian likes to drive 20-30 yards with the ball while often linking up via quick layoffs. The thing is with Raphinha, he doesn’t really need 65% possession to thrive; he can operate in chaotic and dynamic moments (something that Antony has struggled with during his time at M16).
Raphinha can bring a sense of synergy to other attacking options at United
With the attributes that Raphinha possesses, he can complement some of the core players at United, and this is where we start with Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese maestro often drifts into the right half-space to combine, and this is where Raphinha can hold width or invert depending on spaces and sequences. The Brazilian also creates those unpredictable overloads that disorganise defences, and Bruno will benefit the most from this.
Depending on who is operating in the #9 role, Raphinha has that capacity to deliver those early cutbacks or near-post balls which can give a lot of goal-scoring opportunities.
And lastly with Amad Diallo, Amorim can infact introduce Amad late in the game in more of an inside 10 role while Raphinha remains out wide, having the dual creators in those right zones. Amad will also be alternating minutes with the Barcelona ace to manage fitness and workload.
Strengths
Raphinha has proven his credentials not only in the Premier League but also in some of the biggest and highest-stakes games. And this is where United gain one of the most technically gifted wide forwards in world football at the moment. The Brazilian is also quite press resistant, which fits how Amorim likes his forwards.
The current Barcelona ace is also quite direct with his plays and goes early into shots, which is something Amorim will highly appreciate as well.
Weaknesses
His decision-making can be frustrating at times when it comes to pressure, and he is not as good with his back to the goal. And most importantly, given his form last season, Barcelona may end up demanding a higher transfer fee for his signature.
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Author Opinion: Raphinha is an Amorim system winger
Raphinha would be an aggressive, tactically fluid winger. Ruben Amorim would love working with someone who possesses a high tempo complemented by his verticality and dynamism, especially given the structured pressing phases that would allow him to achieve the needed control. I think the Brazilian ace would contribute a lot to the final-third sharpness, mature game reading, and, most importantly for United, he brings that positional intelligence that has been absent on United’s right flank for a long, long time.