An agreement was reached last night, with United deciding to trigger the player’s release clause.
Manchester United’s current roster includes several wingers such as Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony, Amad Diallo, and Facundo Pellistri.
Yet, apart from Garnacho and somewhat Diallo, the rest struggled to make a notable impact last season. As the new season approaches, manager Erik ten Hag is placing significant trust in Rashford and Sancho, hoping they can return to their peak form.
If these players do not perform, United might experience another challenging season with underwhelming wing play.
One potential remedy could be to acquire a proven winger who can provide an immediate boost. According to the Spanish outlet SPORT, Barcelona’s Raphinha has attracted United’s interest.
The 27-year-old Brazilian winger, who has spent two seasons with Barcelona, has shown a desire to stay with the Catalan club this summer.
However, Barcelona needs to offload players, and Raphinha is one who could command a substantial fee.
To accommodate Raphinha, Manchester United is reportedly considering selling Jadon Sancho and Antony during the summer transfer window.
Both players were brought in for high fees, but their tenure at Old Trafford has been plagued by inconsistency and off-field issues.
United has set a £40 million price tag for Sancho and is open to offers around £25 million for Antony. If these transfers go through, United could generate £65 million, enough to meet Barcelona’s valuation of Raphinha, estimated at about £51 million.
Raphinha is familiar with the Premier League from his time at Leeds United under Marcelo Bielsa. Although moving from Leeds to Manchester United might raise some eyebrows, the fact that he would not be making a direct switch from Leeds to Old Trafford might mitigate the impact.
During his tenure at Barcelona, Raphinha has been a reliable performer, even if he hasn’t received as much recognition as some teammates.
A transfer to Manchester United could offer him the chance to establish himself as one of the top creative wingers globally.
Whether the deal materializes this summer remains uncertain, but it could be a crucial development for both Raphinha and Manchester United.
