90min

Barcelona facing €80m sale dilemma as Saudi make new offer - report

  • Barcelona likely to require big-money summer sale to help balance accounts
  • Raphinha targeted by Saudi Arabia but has previously expressed desire to stay
  • Offer from PIF-backed Pro League clubs could exceed valuation of €80m

By Toby Cudworth

Raphinha (left) is the subject of interest from Saudi Arabia
Raphinha (left) is the subject of interest from Saudi Arabia / Jonathan Moscrop/GettyImages
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Barcelona have received a fresh offer from Saudi Arabia for Raphinha that would 'far exceed' the club's €80m valuation, reports in Spain claim.

The 27-year-old joined Barcelona on a five-year contract in July 2022, arriving from Leeds United in a deal worth in excess of €60m, and played a key role in helping the Catalan giants win La Liga in his first season.

But like many other players at Barcelona, Raphinha's future is uncertain because of the club's need to balance their delicate finances. He has been linked with a return to the Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur the side most frequently touted as a potential destination - and has also been described as a top target for the Saudi Pro League.

Spanish publication SPORT substantiate that Barcelona 'will need to make more than one important sale' this summer and state that a new offer has been made for Raphinha that would surpass, if necessary, the club's €80m valuation of the winger.

Raphinha has previously stated that he's happy at Barcelona and wants to win the Champions League with the club, but that kind of cash influx could see the decision taken out of the player's hands - any deal would also see his estimated annual wage of €5.5m wiped off the club's balance sheet.

Raphinha lining up ahead of Barcelona's Champions League clash with Napoli
Raphinha made 50 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona in his first year / Jonathan Moscrop/GettyImages

An exit for the Brazilian could also put to bed speculation over Lamine Yamal's future in Catalonia. The 16-year-old is widely regarded as one of world football's brightest young prospects and recent reports have suggested that Paris Saint-Germain may try to take advantage of Barcelona's precarious financial situation by making an offer of around €200m.

Yamal is seen as the future of Barcelona, alongside fellow teenager Pau Cubarsi, and his emergence has ironically restricted the playing time of Raphinha, who made 50 appearances across all competitions in his first season but is some way short of that figure this time around.

Ronald Araujo and Jules Kounde are two other high-value assets that Barcelona may look to cash in on, though the figures speculated over their potential sales do not hit the heights of what Saudi appear willing to pay for Raphinha.

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