Barcelona worried about Raphinha performance ahead of key months
The Brazilian winger has not found his best form in the Catalan capital
Raphinha was one of the biggest summer investments. His deal could cost Barcelona 60m euros between the fixed fee and variables, but he’s had an inconsistent start at the club and did not enjoy a great World Cup with Brazil.
The technical team hope that Raphinha will improve in the coming months to finish the season, expecting a lot from him.
The Brazilian has not consolidated a spot in the starting line up, with seven benchings and six starts in La Liga, scoring two goals. Ousmane Dembele is ahead of him and, if Ansu Fati steps up, Raphinha’s position is weakened.
In the Champions League he has not shone either and started both games against Bayern and the 1-0 defeat by Inter Milan.
At Barca they thought it might be a little hard at first for Raphinha to fit in. The Brazilian has played at smaller clubs before, like Leeds.
He plays on the right side where he is most comfortable, but that’s also Dembele’s best spot.
The club are worried about his lack of ‘joy’ compared to how he shone in the Premier League, but the situation will only be analysed at the end of the season.
He has a lot of market in England still, although the club hope he can make the difference for them in Spain.
