Transfers

Barcelona star who Xavi may look to sell now wants to stay despite €80m transfer offer

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Barcelona need to earn money through transfer sales in order to bring in extra reinforcements this summer, but this will not be easy.

Xavi is now staying as manager, but he will need to add serious quality to the squad to compete for major trophies next season.

This is easier said than done given the difficult financial situation, and salary restrictions affecting the club, but there is one asset who they could profit from in order to ease this burden.

Brazil winger Raphinha has shone at times since his move from Leeds United, but has been somewhat overwhelming overall, and there may not be a clear fit for him in the side.

However, selling him may be difficult as he may not want to leave Barcelona, having already receieved an offer.

Barcelona receieved huge transfer offer for Raphinha

A report from SPORT revealed recently that a Saudi Arabian side made an offer beyond the €80m price tag set for Raphinha, which could have been an ideal solution for the Blaugrana.

Xavi intends to return to a traditional 4-3-3, and with Lamine Yamal the starter on the right-wing, Raphinha appears to be a poor fit for the left side.

Selling Raphinha to potentially replace him with Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams could have been ideal, but there is now one problem.

Raphinha does not want to leave Barcelona

Paris Saint-Germain V Barcelona. UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final first leg.
Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images

Mundo Deportivo have now reported that despite the interest in him, Raphinha does not want to leave Barcelona to move to Saudi Arabia this summer.

Whilst he may reportedly consider huge offers from the Premier League, his desire is to stay at Barcelona and succeed under Xavi.

Raphinha could be a good option to have in the squad, to rotate on both wings, but as one of the more valuable assets at the club, and a player who may not be a guaranteed starter, a huge sale now could have solved more issues than he would on the pitch.