It was easily missed in the build up to Sunday’s 6-1 win over Spurs, but some big claims emerged from the Spanish media over the weekend.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Newcastle are looking to bring Raphinha to St James’ Park this summer, with fellow Brazilian Vitor Roque also a key target.
The report reveals that we attempted to sign the former Leeds winger 12 months ago, but were beaten to a £55m deal by Barcelona.
However, his time at the Nou Camp hasn’t gone to plan. Not only has he been in and out of Xavi’s team and often played out of position, it’s thought the La Liga giants could be forced to sell several assets this summer to avoid breaching FFP restrictions.
As for Roque, this isn’t the first time we’ve been linked with the Athletico Paranaense star, who hails from the same Brazilian club as Bruno Guimaraes.
The 18-year-old sensation has 12 goals and five assists for the Série A side and has also racked up six in 11 appearances for Brazil’s U20s, recently finishing top scorer at the South American U20 Championships.
Mundo Deportivo report that Barcelona are one of several clubs keen on the striker. Their financial struggles could hand us an advantage, but there’s thought to be a host of European giants vying for his signature.
