Tottenham to ‘force’ through signing of Barcelona star in Liverpool blow; Postecoglou ‘closely following’ performances
Barcelona forwards Ferran Torres and Raphinha
Tottenham Hotspur could deal Liverpool a major setback by signing Raphinha from Barcelona first, with one report detailing how the transfer can reach completion.
Raphinha has already had a spell in England, as he was on Leeds United’s books between October 2020 and July 2022. The winger made a name for himself as one of the most enigmatic and dangerous attackers in the Premier League, and he played a pivotal role in helping Leeds avoid relegation to the Championship in the 2021-22 campaign.
That summer, Raphinha was heavily linked with both Liverpool and Chelsea. The Blues even had a £55million bid for the Brazilian accepted by Leeds, only for him to reject that transfer.
Instead, Raphinha held out for a switch to Barca, and he got his wish later in the summer window.
So far, Raphinha has played 61 games for the Spanish giants, registering 12 goals and 15 assists. That includes two goals and three assists from 11 appearances this term, with the wide man having a disrupted campaign due to a red card suspension and injury.
Recently, rumours have begun to swirl about a potential return to England for the 26-year-old. Tottenham have reportedly identified him as a key transfer target at the demand of manager Ange Postecoglou, while Liverpool have supposedly discussed the possibility of a swap deal involving Raphinha and Luis Diaz.
Spanish outlet AS have now provided an update on Raphinha’s situation. They state that Spurs ‘have not forgotten’ his exceptional displays at Leeds, with both Postecoglou and the club’s scouts ‘closely following’ how he gets on at the Nou Camp this season.
The report explains how Xavi might start to use Raphinha in a more central role after Gavi was ruled out for a lengthy period with an ACL injury. Xavi is determined to make Raphinha’s transfer a success as Barca spent a large amount of money on him last year.
Tottenham to pounce on Barcelona vulnerability
Although, the Blaugrana remain in a tricky financial position and this could ‘force’ them to consider Raphinha’s exit, should a substantial offer arrive.
As such, Spurs now know what they need to do in order to take Raphinha to North London. The report does not mention exactly how much Barca are looking for, but an offer in the region of £50m should get them thinking seriously about a possible sale.
Raphinha could be a great signing for Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who is at risk of losing Mo Salah to the Saudi Pro League in the future. Plus, Liverpool already have several scout reports which show the former Rennes ace would fit in well at Anfield.
But there is now growing risk of Liverpool missing out a deal, with Postecoglou and Spurs pushing to snare Raphinha first.
