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Barcelona winger Raphina has refuted rumors by hitting out at “lies” that he could leave the Catalan club this summer.
Last summer, Raphinha joined Barcelona in a £55 million transfer from English Premier League side Leeds, but he is already being linked with a move away.
The Brazilian international’s 10 goals and 11 assists in 45 appearances for the Catalan club have attracted the admiration of other clubs and rumored of a potential departure have followed.
Barcelona’s dire financial situation and requirements to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations could result in significant adjustments at the club this summer.
La Liga chief Javier Tebas has ordered the club to reduce their wage bill by €200m (£177m), sparking rumors that Barca may be compelled to sell some of their star players, including Raphina.
According to reports in Spain, Newcastle are one of the clubs most eager to sign Raphinha and the English side are willing to pay a hefty transfer fee to acquire his services.
Further rumors suggest the 26-year-old would be interested in returning to the Premier League after enjoying a hugely successful stint in the two seasons he played at Leeds United.
Raphina Calls Out ‘Uninformed’ Rumors Surrounding Newcastle Move
Rumors of a possible exit have infuriated Raphinha, moving him to express his anger publicly.
Raphinha responded to an Instagram account named Fanatico Sport Futebol that shared the rumor of his move to Newcastle by commenting under the post.
“Lies. The person who said this is a liar and uninformed,” Raphina wrote.
“Okay, [they] deleted my comment because lie once again,” he continued, “This is a lie and whoever said it is an uninformed liar and not professional. If my comment is deleted, I will post it on my Instagram.”
Arsenal and Chelsea pursued Raphinha before he joined Barcelona last summer. This interest stemmed from 17 goals and 12 assists in 67 appearances across all competitions for Leeds.
This season, he has been a consistent member of Xavi Hernandez’s squad and will receive a La Liga winners’ medal in the coming weeks. Barcelona are 13 points ahead of Real Madrid at the summit of the table, but are preparing for a turbulent transfer window.
Barca Hoping Sales Can Allow For Messi Return
Sergio Busquets confirmed on Wednesday that he will depart Barcelona at the end of the season, but the club will still need to reduce its wage budget, particularly if it wishes to sign new players.
Ansu Fati is reportedly being forced out of the Nou Camp in an effort to save money, while a number of fringe players will be sold.
Barca is eager to re-sign Lionel Messi when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of June. Tebas, however, has cautioned them that they lack the “capacity” to fit him into their wage budget.
“As of today, no, but there is a lot of time left,” Tebas said last month when asked whether Barca could re-sign Messi. “We are waiting for their [financial fair play] viability plan [for next season].
“I hope they can make the necessary moves to make space for Messi to come in, but of course we are not going to change any rules for Messi to sign. Barca can make moves; they sell players.
“That’s what we hope happens because I am a fan of Messi and I would like Messi to play in our league. But we won’t change any rules. It is complicated, but I think they have the capacity to do it.”
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