Raphinha barcelona
Manchester United have reportedly submitted a formal proposal to sign Barcelona forward Raphinha, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
After moving to the Blaugrana from Leeds United back in 2022, the Brazilian initially took time to settle in his new surroundings. However, he enjoyed a stellar campaign under Hansi Flick last term, scoring 34 goals and registering 22 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions.
The Brazilian even guided the Catalan giants to win the domestic treble last season and finished 5th in the Ballon d’Or ranking. This season, he has continued to showcase his attacking prowess, making five goal contributions in six La Liga appearances.
Now, Fichajes state that having been impressed by the 28-year-old’s recent impressive performances, Man Utd have registered their interest in signing him.
The Red Devils have even submitted a formal proposal worth up to £130m to seal the deal, and Barcelona might be open to accepting the offer amid their financial difficulties.
Raphinha used to be a right winger at Leeds and started as a right-sided forward for Barcelona. However, following Lamine Yamal’s emergence, he has been playing as a left winger and has showcased his best in this position.
Raphinha to Man Utd
Flick even deployed him in the CAM role at times. Having a versatile player is always useful, and considering Raphinha is currently one of the best attackers in the world, he would be a great coup for Man Utd should they eventually manage to secure his services.
However, after struggling with goal-scoring problems last term, the Red Devils opted to overhaul the frontline by signing Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko this summer.
On the other hand, Ruben Amorim also has Mason Mount, Joshua Zirkzee, Bruno Fernandes, and Amad Diallo as options to deploy in the frontline for his 3-4-2-1 system.
Therefore, United don’t need to invest more to upgrade the attack at the moment. Instead, they would be better off saving the money to reinforce the engine room, as Casemiro has been on a decline, and Manuel Ugarte hasn’t been able to find his feet in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see whether the Old Trafford club eventually opt to secure Raphinha’s service next year to bolster the frontline further.