FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has decided to negotiate the sale of Brazilian winger Raphinha in the upcoming January transfer window, according to El Nacional.
The number 11 arrived in Camp Nou in the summer of 2022 after Laporta pulled one of his ‘economic levers’ to make the transfer from Leeds United happen.
According to a SPORT report published on Tuesday, Barca still need to pay the Yorkshire club €24 million ($25.5 million) this season and a further €38 million ($40.3 million) down the line.
There is a total of €207 million ($220 million) owed on purchases mainly carried out in the 2022. summer transfer window.
But if Laporta has anything to do with it, Barca could take care of the rest of the bill for Raphinha by offloading him at the turn of 2024.
Barca’s delicate financial predicament means that they are currently struggling to register Vitor Roque and have him arrive in the same January transfer window Raphinha could depart.
Mundo Deportivo reported that Barca didn’t plan on making a big player sale to incorporate the €30 million ($31.8 million) signing from Athletico-Paranaense, but things have changed according to El Nacional.
The Catalan digital newspaper writes that despite the protests of sporting director Deco, who once represented the forward as his agent, “there is no turning back, and the decision has been made”.
Barca will be willing to offers in the region of €60 million ($63.6 million) for the Porto Alegre native, making it a shame that Saudi-owned Newcastle United didn’t come forward with a concrete offer when Mundo Deportivo reported that they would be willing to hand over €80 million ($85 million) for him.
There could be interest from elsewhere in Saudi Arabia, however, where the likes of Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad are interested in him.
With a contract until 2027, however, Raphinha is under no obligation to move on and will likely want to fight for his place in the first XI amid competition from Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and also Vitor Roque in the near future.
At present, Raphinha is watching from the sidelines thanks to an injury picked up against Sevilla. In his absence, Lamine Yamal mans the right wing but has picked up a knock too.
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