Barcelona unconvinced by Raphinha signing
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 23 May 2023 08:46 CDT
- 3 min read
Barcelona have reportedly been left unconvinced by the signing of Brazilian international Raphinha from Leeds United, with doubts creeping in from within the club.
The 25-year-old arrived at Camp Nou for €55 million in the summer window, following a transfer saga that included both Chelsea and Arsenal.
The Gunners initially registered their interest in signing the winger as competition for Bukayo Saka, before Chelsea swooped and agreed a fee with Leeds.
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However, the player himself didn't want to join the West London side, instead opting for a move to Barcelona, who entered the race late but came out on the winning side of the battle.
But, despite landing the former Stade Rennais star, Barcelona have reportedly not been too impressed with the Brazilian and doubts over whether he should've been signed have reportedly risen, according to AS journalist Javi Miguel.
Upon arriving at Camp Nou, Raphinha joined the likes of Ansu Fati, Ousmane Dembele, Ferran Torres and Memphis Depay in the forward line, with Xavi blessed with attacking talent.
However, the Blaugrana suffered a disappointing 3-1 El Clasico defeat to Real Madrid, which has seen them slip off top spot in La Liga, and are on the verge of exiting the Champions League group stages for the second consecutive season. Xavi's men have just four points from their opening four games in the competition and are reliant on results going their way to ensure progression into the knockout stages.
Raphinha's spell at Barcelona in numbers
Despite competition for places, Raphinha has been a favourite under Xavi and has featured 12 times in all competitions. He's mostly played on his favoured right flank, but on occasion has been used on the opposite side, to the detriment of his performance.
However, he has only managed to register one goal and one assist during the course of those 12 appearances so far this term, which is the same number of goal contributions that midfielder Pedri has managed this campaign.
As a result, his signing has been questioned by many at the club.
