Raphinha pursuit shows Barcelona haven't learned from their past mistakes
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 5 Jul 2022 13:35 BST
- 4 min read
Barcelona's desire to sign Leeds United's Brazilian international Raphinha shows the Blaugrana have learned nothing from their past mistakes.
Raphinha, 25, is set to leave Elland Road this summer following a stellar two-year stint at the Yorkshire club, and has already rejected advances from both Arsenal and Tottenham.
Chelsea have also seen the player turn down a move to Stamford Bridge, despite agreeing a fee with Leeds. A €70 million agreement has been reached between the two clubs, but personal terms has proven to be a major stumbling block.
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Raphinha has told his agent Deco, the former Barcelona and Chelsea star, that he only wants to join Barcelona this summer, amid interest from the Camp Nou side.
Barcelona have been heavily linked with a move for both Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha as Xavi looks to bolster the options he has available in that area of the pitch.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed an update on their pursuit of the Leeds star, telling the Spanish press: "We have communication and have spoken with Leeds... There are other clubs that want Raphinha and are making their proposals. He wants to come [to Barcelona]."
But, if Barcelona seriously pursue a deal for Raphinha then it will be an admission they haven't learned from their recent mistakes in the transfer market.
Financial mis-management
Barcelona have found themselves plunged into financial disarray following years of over-spending and have been forced to sell 10 per cent of the club’s La Liga TV rights for the next 25 years in order to receive a €207.5 million cash injection.
Furthermore, it was reported by BarcaUniversal back in May that Barca had began discussions over selling 49% Barça Licensing and Merchandising for €200 million over a 10 year period.
In addition to this, Mundo Deportivo reported the Blaugrana had also sped up the process of selling a maximum of 49% of Barça Studios. Again, the club were hoping to make €200m from this sale to make a combined total of an additional €400m.
The club's pursuit of Raphinha shows they've learned nothing.
The signings of Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann cost Barcelona a combined €370m, and the club have not seen anything like the reward that kind of investment should've merited.
In addition, Coutinho was sold for a €125m loss, while Dembele is currently a free agent after his contract expired in June, meaning if he doesn't renew then Barca won't have made any money back on him.
If Barcelona were sensible, they would use the money they've generated from selling TV rights to repay the debt they owe and begin to balance the books once more. However, their lucrative summer transfer targets don't suggest that will happen.
It may take activating Raphinha's €75m release clause to sign him, and Barcelona just can't afford that if they act sensibly.
Too many forwards
The way Barcelona kept increasing their spending was due to a lack of patience with forward signings, and an attempt to sign the next star.
Dembele and Coutinho arrived in consecutive transfer windows, while Griezmann was signed in a last-ditch attempt to rectify their poorly-performing attack 18 months after Coutinho joined.
The club kept wanting more and this led to the over-spending that has crippled the club financially.
A similar situation could happen this summer.
Barcelona are reportedly attempting to offload Memphis Depay this window, having already let Luuk de Jong re-join Sevilla being before sold back to the Eredivisie, in order to facilitate moves for Raphinha and Lewandowski.
But, Depay's tally of 12 league goals last season was certainly respectable, and if Barca are able to renew Dembele's deal then a forward line that consists of Depay, Dembele, Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang isn't exactly one that requires much attention.
That fact is highlighted even further when considering the gaping holes that do exist in the Barcelona squad.
The club still haven't signed a long-term heir to either Sergio Busquets or Jordi Alba, while right-back remains a huge issue.
Instead of signing a luxury player in a position they don't need, like Raphinha, Barcelona would be far better off adding players of real quality that can help improve the longevity of Busquets and Alba's career at the top by rotating with them next season before eventually replacing them.
Barcelona have previously spent big without much thought and it's landed them in a financial crisis. If they sign Raphinha instead of players they actually need, then a similar thing could happen again.
