Barcelona forward Raphinha is seriously considering a return to the Premier League this summer as Newcastle United push for his signature.
That’s according to Sport, who say the Brazilian could be tempted to return to England as he fears a ‘loss of prominence’ and the possible return of Lionel Messi.
The newspaper explains that while Raphinha and his family are very happy in Barcelona, he is prioritising regular minutes next season to ensure he does not miss his chance with Brazil.
Thus, he is ‘considering leaving’ at the end of the season and knows he has interest from Newcastle and several other sides in the Premier League.
A report yesterday indicated that they are willing to pay whatever it takes to sign the forward this summer and Sport back this up, stating that they are the latest side to have ‘made an approach’ for him.
It is not the money which is making the player consider his future, though, but the sporting aspect of the situation.
He believes he could be forced down the pecking order next season as Ousmane Dembélé is already Xavi’s favourite, and the possible return of Messi would only further limit his opportunities.
His belief is that if the Argentine returns, then the new favoured front three would be Messi, Dembélé and Lewandowski, leaving him on the sidelines and his chances of being a regular for the Seleçao limited to non-existent.
Thus, he is considering his future at the Camp Nou and accepts that he may need to move on to ensure he is starring regularly elsewhere.
He is yet to decide where he would go if that were the case and Newcastle are one of the sides to have made an offer to him.
