“As an ‘Interesting Summer’ Approaches, Barcelona Faces a €100m Decision on Raphinha”

Director of Football Mateu Alemany has suggested that Barcelona are in for an “interesting summer,” as the club looks to raise or save €180m in order to register new contracts for young talents Gavi, Ronald Araujo, and Marcos Alonso. With such a significant financial burden, the future of several players in the squad, including Brazilian winger Raphinha, is in question.

Raphinha has performed well this season, scoring 10 goals and providing 11 assists, but there are doubts about his performance, and his expensive price tag is a concern for the club. The winger arrived for a fee of €65m, with a salary of €12m per year over his five-year deal. This means that Barcelona still has €100m to pay for Raphinha over the next four years, making him an expensive substitute.

If Barcelona decides to sell Raphinha, they would need to do so for at least €52m to recoup some of their investment. However, his future will be a critical factor in the club’s ability to do business this summer.

President Joan Laporta has already hinted that one or two players may have to leave, and with the club intending to bring in another forward this summer, it is difficult to see that recruitment plan coming off without major sales. Ansu Fati, who has no fee to amortize, is a potential candidate for a sale, while Ferran Torres has similar terms to Raphinha, with €80m still to pay in both salary and fee.

Between the two, Raphinha makes more economic sense, as he is older and has already had an impact in the squad. However, with Ousmane Dembele fit, it is likely that Raphinha will be relegated to the bench, making his €100m price tag even more problematic for Barcelona’s stretched accountancy department.

As Barcelona prepares for what promises to be an interesting summer, the handling of Raphinha’s future could well be decisive in terms of the club’s ability to register new contracts and make further signings.