Reported Manchester City transfer target Raphinha is not thinking about leaving Barcelona this summer.
Earlier this week, it was reported that the winger is a top target for City should Riyad Mahrez leave the club, which now looks likely having agreed a deal to join Al-Ahli.
Now though, some fresh behind-the-scenes details have emerged on the matter from the player and Barcelona’s point of view.
Raphinha not considering Barcelona exit
In a recent Twitter post, journalist Toni Juanmarti had this to say on the matter, including what Xavi has told Raphinha about his place at Barcelona moving forward.
He said: “Neither Raphinha nor Barca know anything about Man City. And, in [England], I would say that there are other teams that want the Brazilian much more than City.
“Rapha is happy, he wants to stay 100%. And Xavi has already given him confidence and support several times. The player only thinks of [Barcelona].”
After making 67 appearances for Leeds United, the 26-year-old made his move to the Camp Nou last summer in a deal worth a reported fee of £55m.
Since then, the Brazilian has made 50 appearances for the Spanish club across all competitions, scoring 10 goals and delivering 12 assists in the process.
With Juanmarti now claiming that neither the player nor the club are aware of City’s apparent interest and that Raphinha is only thinking about his future with Barcelona, this could make it a challenge for the Citizens to try and convince the player to make a return to England, especially with Xavi apparently giving him confidence and support about his place at the Spanish club.
Moving forward, if City do make it clear to Barcelona that they have an interest in the winger but get told by the La Liga champions that they aren’t looking to sell him this summer, it could be the Manchester club’s best option to move onto other potential targets.
