Raphinha transfer twist as former Leeds United star given Barcelona stance amid £55m claim

The future of former Leeds United forward Raphinha remains up in the air amid interest during this January transfer window. The winger left Elland Road for Barcelona in the summer of 2022 for around £50million, but he hasn't been able to reach his full potential at Camp Nou, at least not yet.

The 27-year-old has come in for criticism aplenty from Barca fans despite scoring, on average, once every five league games for the Catalan club from out wide. The winger was heavily linked with a move away from Camp Nou in the summer, but Barca decided to keep hold of him despite continuing to face financial challenges.

Recent reports have suggested that sporting director Deco needs to push through a significant sale in the near future to keep the club's finances ticking over, and Raphinha appears the most likely, given there is interest from Saudi Arabia.

Reports in Spain suggest Al Hilal are interested this month, and that they could offer Barca a profit with talk of a £55million offer. But according to Catalan press, Deco, who previously represented Raphinha as his agent, believes the winger can still reach his potential with Barcelona, and he is said to be reluctant to sell the Brazilian.

In the meantime, Raphinha was forced off during Barcelona's Spanish Super Cup win over Osasuna in Saudi Arabia, forcing him out of the El Clásico final with Real Madrid. It's unclear how long the 27-year-old will be out for, but it could be an obstacle to a transfer this month.