Barcelona have reportedly set their price for Raphinha amid claims Manchester United are monitoring the forward ahead of a potentially record-breaking summer swoop and with the Ballon d’Or contender making clear his career objectives.
Raphinha left the Premier League in July 2022 when he joined Barcelona from Leeds United in a £55million deal. It took the Brazilian time to get used to life at the Camp Nou but he is now thriving under Hansi Flick.
The winger, who can also pay as a No 10, is enjoying the best season of his career and is in contention to win this year’s Ballon d’Or if his remarkable form continues.
So far, Raphinha has notched 27 goals and 20 assists in 42 matches.
He bagged a brace as Barca thrashed Real Madrid 5-2 to win the Spanish Super Cup in January. It could end up being an historic season for Raphinha and Barca as they remain in contention for the Spanish title, Champions League and Spanish Cup.
While Raphinha has established himself as one of Barca’s most important players, it is not guaranteed that he will stay in Catalonia for the long run.
TEAMtalk transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher revealed on Thursday that Man Utd hold interest in Raphinha and could sell several players this summer to help fund a blockbuster move for him.
Barca are not ruling out a sale as this would give them funds to sign multiple transfer targets of their own.
As per an update from Spanish source Fichajes, the Blaugrana are ‘willing to part ways’ with Raphinha, but only for the right price.
Flick’s side want a huge fee of €120m (£100m / $130m) to sell the 28-year-old. They feel this price is justified through his ‘outstanding’ performances this campaign.
Man Utd duo Ruben Amorim and Christopher Vivell see Raphinha as a top-class operator who would be able to fire the Red Devils up the Premier League table next season.
Raphinha’s versatility means he could shine in one of the two No 10 roles behind United’s main striker.
As mentioned previously, United’s tricky financial situation means they would need to sell a number of players before being able to spend £100m on Raphinha.
Some options include Alejandro Garnacho, Harry Maguire, Casemiro, Antony and Marcus Rashford.
Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen are expected to depart Old Trafford when their contracts expire this summer, which will save room on the wage bill.
United splashing out £100m on Raphinha would see them smash their transfer record, currently held by Paul Pogba (£89m).
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Raphinha, Nico Williams both on Man Utd radar
TEAMtalk understands United do have a cheaper attacking option in mind, should a move for Raphinha prove too difficult.
Amorim is also a big admirer of Nico Williams, who has a €58m (£48.5m / $62.7m) release clause in his Athletic Club contract.
As with Raphinha, Williams is a winger, though Amorim feels he has all the attributes needed to star as a slightly more central No 10.
Returning to Raphinha, the former Rennes ace was quizzed on his Ballon d’Or aspirations recently.
“It’s only natural that it would cross my mind, and if I told you otherwise I would be lying,” he said.
“But I try to put that aside and focus on my personal goals in my career, whether in terms of scoring goals, making assists, or winning titles.
“I think if I achieve all the goals I wrote in my notebook by the end of the season, the possibility of winning an individual award will be very high.
“But I don’t like to focus too much on the Ballon d’Or or any individual award, because thinking about it too much can become a distraction.”
Man Utd transfers: ‘Atrocious’ decision; Neville claim
Meanwhile, Liverpool icon Graeme Souness has become the latest pundit to slam United over the sale of Scott McTominay.
The midfielder is thriving at Napoli and Souness has called his departure an ‘atrocious piece of judgment’.
Gary Neville has suggested United could enter the frame for Newcastle talisman Alexander Isak this summer.
Jamie Carragher, though, thinks Isak is far more likely to join Arsenal or Liverpool.
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