In a recent interview with Tottenham News, pundit Alan Hutton urged Tottenham Hotspur to land Barcelona winger Raphinha this summer. Hutton said,
“He’s got the ability and he’ll be given that freedom to express himself.
“I think a player like him, that’s what he needs. Maybe at Barcelona is it a little bit more structured? Has he not been given the time on the pitch that he would like to go and show that ability? It’s a league that he knows well if he comes back to England, he knows what it is all about.
“It is a lot of money however, I don’t know how much football he’s played this season but it’s a lot of money to pay. Is Daniel Levy willing to splash that when he might be looking at other areas within the team?
“It will be an interesting one, but definitely somebody that ticks a lot of boxes for Tottenham.”
Raphinha’s Impressive Form In Spanish Football
Raphinha has enjoyed a decent campaign at the Nou Camp after he put in a string of impressive displays on the right side of Xavi’s attack. The Brazilian talent has been involved in 29 matches for Barca this season, scoring six times and picking ten assists in all competitions.
The 27-year-old has been a reliable performer for Barca in the final third as he is averaging 2.2 shots, 1.5 key passes and 1.0 dribbles per game in La Liga. He has even been tidy with his ball distribution based on his pass success rate of 80% in the top tier of Spanish football (stats via whoscored).
What Will Raphinha Bring To Tottenham Hotspur?
Raphinha is a decent dribbler with the ball at his feet and can use his quickness to cause a lot of headaches for his marker out on the flanks. He can strike the ball with venom and precision from long range and is a good crosser of the ball as well.
The Brazilian sensation can set up some inviting chances for others around him in and around the opponent’s penalty box. He is primarily a right-winger but can also fill in as a left-sided wide player if asked to do so.
At 27, Raphinha is about to enter his prime which makes him a worthy target for Spurs to pursue in the summer transfer window. He would bring more pace and goals to Tottenham head coach Angelos Postecoglu’s frontline.
The Brazilian knows the Premier League well from his previous spell at Leeds United and won’t take much time to settle into life at the North London club if Postecoglu manages to get him on board later this year.
