Newcastle United linked with a potential €80m record breaking move for Barcelona star

According to reports, Newcastle United could be set to break their transfer record with an €80m move for Barcelona star Raphinha this summer. Barcelona is looking to raise funds of €180m in sales and savings, and the Brazilian winger is one of the candidates to be pushed out of the club, with Ousmane Dembele competing for his spot. Raphinha joined Barcelona last summer for a fee of €58m plus €7m in variables, and has had a mixed season, with 10 goals and 11 assists so far. If Newcastle were to reach the €80m asking price, it would break their transfer record set last summer with the signing of Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad for €70m.

However, the difficult part of the deal could be persuading Raphinha to leave. The Brazilian winger has good cachet in the Premier League and may not be eager to move to Newcastle. In addition, Barcelona will have to sell him for over €52m in order to make a profit, as they are due €100m over the next four years for the deal.

It remains to be seen whether Barcelona will be willing to part ways with Raphinha, given their need to raise funds this summer. However, if Xavi Hernandez is still keen to keep Dembele as his first choice winger on the right, Raphinha’s departure would make sense for the club. Barcelona has a history of struggling to offload players, with some players unwilling to leave despite not being in the club’s plans. Frenkie de Jong is a recent example of a player who dug in to remain at the club. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how this transfer saga develops in the coming weeks and months.