Getty Xavi wants Raphinha to stay at Barcelona.
Barcelona coach Xavi has made it clear he does not want Raphinha to leave the club in the summer transfer window and has told the Catalan giants he wants the Brazil international to stay.
The club had considered offloading Raphinha in a bid to reduce the wage bill, but Xavi has now had his say and has asked Barcelona to “abort any transfer,” according to UOL’s Bruno Andrade.
Barcelona had been willing to consider offers for 80 million euros for Raphinha this summer, according to Goal’s Ruben Uria. However, if Xavi gets his way then the winger will stay and be part of the first-team squad next season.
Raphinha has endured an inconsistent first season at Barcelona but his numbers are impressive. The Brazilian has notched 10 goals and 12 assists in 45 appearances in his debut season at the Camp Nou.
The forward has seven assists in La Liga, more than any other Barcelona player, and has played his role in the team’s title success, despite openly admitting that he has found it difficult to adapt to life at the Camp Nou.
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Raphinha Reacts To Barcelona Exit Rumors
Raphinha has already been linked with a big-money move back to the Premier League this summer even before the season has ended. Journalist Gerard Romero has reported Newcastle would be willing to splash out 80 million euros on the Brazilian, according to Sport.
The winger has reacted angrily to the transfer talk in a post on social media, as shown by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. He described a claim he had agreed to leave Barcelona after just one season as “fake news.”
Speculation has arisen about Raphinha’s future as Barcelona need to make sales this summer, particularly if they want to bring Lionel Messi back to the club.
Economic vice-president Eduardo Romeu has admitted the Argentina international could return to the Camo Nou after his PSG contract expires in the summer “if there are player sales, as the salary limit has to be lower,” as reported by AS.
Raphinha Joins Title Celebrations
Yet Raphinha made it clear he’s not thinking about a move when he joined Barcelona’s title celebrations on Monday, May 15. The Catalans embarked on an open top bus parade through the city after sealing the league title with a 4-2 win over Espanyol.
The Brazilian sent out a pretty strong message while on the bus, as reported by Romano. “I’m very happy to win this title here at Barça, it’s better than I imagined. For sure next season we will try to achieve more,” he said.
Raphinha started the win over Espanyol, ahead of fit-again Ousmane Dembele, and picked up an assist for striker Robert Lewandowski to once again highlight his effectiveness on the right of the attack.
Barcelona are expected to make sales this summer, to ease their financial situation, and Raphinha may well be in demand. However, the Brazilian has made it clear he wants to stay and appears to have his manager’s backing too.
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