FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has completely shot down speculation that Raphinha could be leaving the club this summer, following the recent acquisitions of attackers Gordon and Adeyemi. Speaking after numerous reports had been circulating regarding the Brazil international’s potential departure, Laporta confirmed on Monday that, while the new signings would “completely renovate” the Blaugrana’s front-line options, Raphinha is not for sale and is firmly central to their plans.
The arrival of Anthony Gordon and recent acquisition of Karim Adeyemi have prompted fierce debate that the Catalans would be forced to offload a star asset such as Raphinha to bring their budget within La Liga's regulations. Instead, the club has adopted a vastly different approach.
“No desire for him to leave”
Amid rampant interest from the Premier League and colossal offers from Saudi Arabia, speculation over Raphinha’s future intensified once the double signing was announced. The president has responded aggressively to such reports.
"With the signing of Gordon and Ademi, I see that we are greatly strengthening the attack, but that does not mean that we are going to let Raphinha go, because he is a very important and key player for us."Joan Laporta
When questioned on whether the club would be tempted to cash in on any significant offers made before the window closes, the president was categorical.
"Yes. We don’t have desire for him to leave. On the contrary, he is a key player for us."Joan Laporta
Ramping up competition upfront
While the arrivals of Gordon and Adeyemi have creates an incredibly aggressive attacking unit for the Blaugrana, keeping hold of Raphinha is the correct footballing decision based on his production, work-rate and elite pressing capabilities.
- Tactical flexibility: Raphinha offers such immense tactical flexibility. His pressing is relentless and his runs in behind spaces are exceptional, which gives the coaches a range of options for where to play him in attack.
- Squad Depth: Barçca need to be competing in all domestic and European competitions, so building a deeper attacking unit is crucial. Too thin an attack led to their undoing last season.
- The Message: This move is sending a powerful message that Barcelona is back and has no need to sell any of their current established attacking players to generate space for new ones.
A hellishly competitive attack awaits, and Laporta is determined that all parties fight alongside each other for glory this season.
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