FC Barcelona are having a good season and it could be even better as they go for the treble. The arrival of Hansi Flick has revitalised and improved many players who were considered ‘dead’ and whose departure from the club was being considered. Now, however, they are the big stars of a team that seems to be scoring goals.
Raphinha, a meteoric rise
Just a few months ago, Raphinha had the transfer tag hanging from him and was being looked for a place where he could literally be gotten rid of. However, the Brazilian has done a complete U-turn this season and is now in the running for the Ballon d’Or. The Brazilian has 27 goals and 18 assists this season. He has participated in 43 of the 128 goals that Barça have scored this season.
With these figures, many see him as a candidate for the Ballon d’Or, but his numbers also threaten a historic FC Barcelona player. With his 11 goals in the Champions League, he now threatens the 14 that Leo Messi achieved in the 2011/12 season under Pep Guardiola.
Raphinha and his character
At the end of the match, the protagonist was Raphinha. With the final whistle, Raphinha was visibly annoyed with the referees. When Gil Manzano blew the final whistle, the Brazilian striker went after the referee very upset while his teammate Lewandowski gestured to him to leave. These gestures were unsuccessful, far from calming down, he picked up a ball and kicked it hard.
As he was about to enter the dressing room tunnel, it was his teammate, now injured, Ter Stegen, who tried to calm him down, but he was also unable to do so and both ended up shoving each other on their way to the Barcelona dressing room. The goalkeeper ended up pushing the attacker, who was still making ostensible gestures of protest, inside the facilities.
He was angry because the linesman had told him to be quiet, something that did not go down well with the Barça player, who repeatedly told him that no one had told him to be quiet, followed by several insults. At the subsequent press conference, Flick even commented on the matter with a certain degree of sarcasm: “He was angry with me, not with the referee, he was shouting at me”.
Duel in Manchester for Raphinha
Despite his explosive temperament, his great performances throughout the season have made him a strong candidate for the Ballon d’Or and have put him in the spotlight of several Premier League clubs. The two most interested in the attacker are both Manchester clubs.
Manchester City could make a big offer for the player next summer. It is thought that the offer that could reach the offices of the Barça team would far exceed 80 million euros, the current value of the 27-year-old striker. Raphinha has a contract with Barça until June 2027, but the board has been working for weeks to extend his contract, something he has well and truly earned.
Now, the other Manchester, United, also wants to open its wallet and pull out the chequebook to take the player from Barcelona. The ‘red devils’ are said to have an offer of 70 million euros ready to sign the Brazilian. This is a significant amount and could be difficult for Barça to refuse if they are to make a top sale to recoup the signing of another left-footed winger.
Interest is so strong that some media outlets are talking about the fact that in addition to the 70 million on the table, they would include Marcus Rashford as part of the payment. An effort that seems more than necessary as Barça is not willing to let the player go, although, given their financial situation, nothing can be ruled out at Can Barça.