During the last summer transfer window, the Catalan media made efforts to find a home for Rafinha on what seemed like a daily basis. Liverpool probably edged Arsenal to be the club most linked with the Barcelona outcast, and all kinds of claims were made about Anfield interest.
With a month left of the window, Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo claimed Jurgen Klopp had asked Michael Edwards to sign Rafinha. The Liverpool manager was stated as being ‘especially interested’ and an offer of around €30-40m was being prepared.
It all seemed like hope on behalf of Barca, and with Spanish newspaper learning the names of Liverpool officials thanks to the Coutinho saga, perhaps there was a willingness to use them.
Claims had been made in May and June and then continued into the business end of the window, and Liverpool was the chosen destination.
The window closed without a move, and shortly afterwards, Rafinha had another knee operation. Now the Barcelona player is back on the list of players who are very much for sale.
Sport claim that Barcelona aren’t too confident about a winter sale, because of the operation, but that only means they’d delay the exit until next summer. At that time, Liverpool will have him handed on a plate, which will be handy if the Klopp interest was as strong as reported.
