Ruben Amorim, alongside newly appointed Director of Football Jason Wilcox, is spearheading a major overhaul of a United squad that endured one of its worst seasons in recent memory. ..Continue Reading
The club’s recruitment drive is focused heavily on attacking reinforcements, having already secured Matheus Cunha from Wolves by activating his £62.5 million release clause.
After missing out on Liam Delap—who made an impressive debut for Chelsea—United continue their search for a new striker.
Their interest in Viktor Gyokeres appears to have cooled, while a £65 million package for Bryan Mbeumo was turned down by Brentford, prompting consideration of a revised offer amid competition from Tottenham.
Reports from Spain suggest United have tabled a jaw-dropping €150 million proposal for Raphinha. Barcelona, grappling with financial challenges, may be tempted to accept—especially as the Brazilian is said to be unsettled by the club’s imminent acquisition of Nico Williams.
Williams, who has agreed to a six-year deal, was also a target for Arsenal and Bayern Munich before choosing the Catalan giants.
He tweeted: “Nico Williams and Barça have agreed personal terms on 6 year deal!
“Agreement sealed on player’s contract until June 2031 with the salary in the region of €7/8m net per season. Barça are currently working on financial terms to get deal done with Athletic.”
The report in Spain claims Williams’ imminent move to Barcelona has pushed Raphinha to ‘threaten to leave’ because he ‘doesn’t approve’ of the signing as he fears dropping in the pecking order at the club.
The report claimed: ‘According to sources close to the club , Raphinha has expressed his displeasure to the club’s management. Although he hasn’t submitted a formal request to leave, he has made it clear that if he loses prominence in the coming months, he will seriously consider his future. The situation has generated tension within the Barcelona team.’
Another report from Spain claims there’s now an ‘added element of tension’, with Raphinha not happy with the role Lamine Yamal has played in luring Williams to Barcelona.
Yamal and Williams have developed a close bond through their time with the Spanish national team, and Yamal recently shared a photo of the two on social media shortly after Barcelona initiated talks to sign the 22-year-old winger.
According to reports, that public show of support hasn’t sat well with Raphinha, who reportedly feels let down by someone he considered an ally.
The idea of competing for playing time with another top-tier winger has reportedly unsettled the Brazilian, although manager Hansi Flick is said to be considering shifting Raphinha into a central attacking role to make room for Williams on the left.
Meanwhile, journalist Miguel Angel Lopez revealed that Manchester United had serious interest in Raphinha, but their failure to qualify for the Champions League ultimately prevented them from making a formal move.
He revealed: “Manchester United were ready to push to sign Raphinha from Barcelona this summer.
“Ruben Amorim is a massive fan of Raphinha. Manchester United failing to qualify for the UCL negatively affected their budget and also ruined any chance of signing the Brazilian.”
