Manchester City are now “in contact” with Barcelona over bringing Brazillian Winger Raphinha to the club, claims Santi Aouna of FootMercato. The 26-year-old is considered a “top target” to replace Riyad Mahrez, following David Ornstein’s report that Al Ahli have agreed to a total package of around £30 million for the Algerian.
Last Word on Football have live-streamed a discussion over why Raphinha is an almost perfect acquisition for City. Watch below:
Manchester City Target Key Barcelona Midfielder to Replace Riyad Mahrez
Barcelona ‘Open to Offers’ for Raphinha
Despite making a £55 million move to Barcelona just last summer, the Catalonian club appear to be willing to part with the former Leeds star. Incoming sporting director Deco has been in contact with City’s Director of Football Txiki Begiristain to discuss the player’s future.
With 6 goals and 6 assists in 36 La Liga appearances, Raphinha made a decent contribution to Barcelona’s title run. However, it is reported by Aouna that the club will consider a sale at the right price.
Can Raphinha Fit Into Pep Guardiola’s Side?
Despite Raphinha’s modest attacking returns for Barcelona, there are reasons to be optimistic about a future move to Manchester City. He has the experience and discipline, from his years at Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa, to be a valuable contributor in both the attacking and defensive phases of play.
We can also expect an increase in attacking returns from the Brazilian. He registered strong non-penalty expected goals per 90 of 0.36 last season, and with an expected assists rating of 0.39 per 90, he could be a key provider for Erling Haaland. To contextualize these numbers, they put him in the top ten and five percent of attacking midfielders and wingers respectively last campaign.
One concern for Guardiola may be the Brazilian’s relatively low pass completion rate of 71%. This could present a challenge for a City side that seeks to dominate and retain possession.
Fee Agreed for Riyad Mahrez to Leave for Saudi Arabia
There were signs in previous months that Riyad Mahrez’s Manchester City career was near an end. Most notably, he was left out of the starting lineup for the club’s Champions League final and FA Cup final matches. His role in the side fluctuated throughout the season, with Bernardo Silva being preferred in the majority of major fixtures.
Al Ahli began their pursuit of the player last month and submitted a bid of £18 Million plus £5 million in add-ons, which was swiftly rejected. Eager to seal a deal for the player, they quickly returned a new bid closer to City’s desired price.
Pep Guardiola will be keen to replace the former Leicester man, and their pursuit of Raphinha is likely to continue following the deal.
Main Image Credit:
Mikey Flickr, Creative Commons License, Attribution (CC BY 2.0).
