Manchester United may have been given a major boost to their hopes of signing Barcelona forward Raphinha this summer, after the Brazilian was involved in a double bust-up with boss Hansi Flick and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen on Saturday evening.
The Catalan giants failed to fully capitalise on Real Madrid’s shock home loss to Valencia earlier in the day as they were held at home by Real Betis, stretching their lead to four points when it could have been six over their bitter rivals.
An early goal from Gavi gave Barcelona the lead but Betis equalised in the 17th minute through Natan.
After the full-time whistle, Raphinha, who was substituted in the 57th minute, stormed onto the pitch and made his way over to the officials. However, he was also involved in a brief heated exchange with Flick.
As he headed towards the tunnel, Ter Stegen then attempted to put his arm around Raphinha but the former Leeds United man pushed the Barca stopper away.
Ter Stegen then swatted Raphinha’s arm aside before he pushed the winger further down the tunnel.
When asked about the incident with Raphinha after the game, Flick said: “He was angry with me, not with the referee, he was yelling at me.”
The confrontation will only serve to heighten speculation that Raphinha will be offloaded by Barcelona when the summer transfer window options, despite his heroics this season.
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The 28-year-old has been one of Barca’s standout performers this season with a hugely impressive 24 goals and 13 assists in all competitions so far.
However, given the club’s ongoing financial constraints, TEAMtalk has previously reported how United have taken a big shine to the player and are very keen on bringing him back to English football.
The Red Devils have been linked with a number of wingers after allowing Marcus Rashford and Antony to leave on loan in the winter window, while Alejandro Garnacho‘s future also remains in doubt.
Amorim is keen on having two different types of players on the flanks, and one of them needs to have the attributes of a traditional winger – which is where Raphinha fits in.
The Brazil international did well in the Premier League with Leeds, scoring 17 goals and providing 12 assists in 65 appearances in the English top flight.
The fact that Raphinha showed during his time in England that he can be one of the most exciting players makes him a great candidate for the role that Amorim wants his winger to fulfill at Man Utd.
Former Brazil head coach Dorival Jr is also a big fan of the player and recently said that “Raphinha is a Ballon d’Or contender”, while also praising him for being “a very versatile footballer who adapts well to any role”.
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