MX23RW : Wednesday, May 1 13:15:59| >> :60:697:697:

Barcelona 'reject £51.4m Raphinha bid from Premier League club'

Barcelona 'reject £51.4m Raphinha bid from Premier League club'
© Reuters
Barcelona reportedly reject a bid of €60m (£51.3m) from an unnamed Premier League club for Raphinha but are still open to letting him leave for the right price.

Barcelona have supposedly turned down an approach of €60m (£51.4m) to sell Raphinha back to the Premier League.

The former Leeds United man was the jewel in the Elland Road crown during his two years in the English top flight, helping the Whites stay afloat in the Premier League with 17 goals and 12 assists.

Raphinha was the subject of interest from all of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2022, but he opted to leave English shores in search of a new challenge in La Liga.

The 27-year-old has not set the world alight in Barcelona colours but boasts a respectable record of 19 goals and 22 assists in 82 games, winning the La Liga title in his first campaign with the club.

A positive 2023-24 campaign has seen Raphinha find the back of the net nine times in 32 games - including three strikes across two Champions League quarter-final legs with Paris Saint-Germain - in addition to providing 10 assists.

FC Barcelona's Joao Felix, Raphinha and Marc Casado during the warm up before the match on September 3, 2023© Reuters

Barcelona name asking price for Raphinha

Raphinha has benefitted from Gavi's ACL injury and Joao Felix falling out of favour to earn regular starts on the left in recent times, but he has only featured in 13 La Liga matches from the first whistle this term.

The Brazil international's contract does not expire until 2027, but he has long been linked with a return to England, and an unnamed Premier League team apparently tried their luck with a €60m (£51.4m) approach.

According to Spanish outlet Sport, the La Liga champions turned down the proposal, but they would still be open to parting ways with Raphinha if an interested party stumps up an €80m (£68.5m) package.

Despite Raphinha's recent impressive exploits, Barca can also call upon Ferran Torres on the left wing, while the club are also working to keep Atletico Madrid loanee Felix beyond the end of the season.

With the Blaugrana also under pressure to make more big-money sales, a return to England cannot be ruled out for Raphinha, who may be at the centre of an intense transfer battle this summer.

Which Premier League teams could do with Raphinha?

Barcelona's Raphinha celebrates scoring their first goal on April 10, 2024© Reuters

While the report does not state which team lodged the unsuccessful bid for the winger, his trickery, versatility and eye for goal would make him a highly attractive option for a number of Big Six sides.

North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are both believed to be keeping an eye on his future following their 2022 failures, and it is easy to see why the two capital giants want to add him to their ranks.

Arsenal are crying out for a Premier League-proven option on the right to ease the workload on Bukayo Saka, while the Lilywhites will likely let Bryan Gil leave and are undecided on signing Timo Werner from RB Leipzig permanently.

Manchester United's name has also been mentioned due to the Jadon Sancho saga, but if Erik ten Hag leaves his post this summer, the Englishman would supposedly consider starting afresh at Old Trafford.

If Liverpool fans' fears become a reality and Mohamed Salah departs at the end of the season, Raphinha would be a natural replacement on the right, although the Reds are not thought to have a serious interest in the 27-year-old at this moment in time.

ID:541618:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect6159:

Click here for more stories about Raphinha

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Barcelona's Raphinha celebrates scoring their first goal with Robert Lewandowski on April 10, 2024
Read Next:
Barcelona 'preparing new contract for Spanish midfielder'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal35255585285780
2Manchester CityMan City34247382325079
3Liverpool35229477364175
4Aston Villa35207873522167
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs33186967521560
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd34166125251154
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle341651374551953
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham351310125665-949
9Chelsea33139116359448
10Bournemouth35139135260-848
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves35137154855-746
12Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton341111125257-544
13Fulham35127165155-443
14Crystal Palace351010154557-1240
15Everton35128153748-1136
16Brentford3598185260-835
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3579194262-2026
18Luton TownLuton3567224877-2925
19Burnley3559213870-3224
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd3537253497-6316


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!