Tottenham Hotspur ended the summer transfer window with a bang, adding a couple of exciting players to their lineup ahead of the new season. Mauricio Pochettino will be happy with the options at his disposal but will know that he needs further additions to make sure that his side can go all the way this season.
So it does not come as a surprise that he is still scouting for players who can help him steal some silverware and one player he wants to add to his squad in the next transfer window is Barcelona star Rafinha.
The Brazilian international is a creative midfielder who is among the best in his position in Spain the La Liga. However, he has not been able to cement his place in the starting XI under the previous manager Luis Enrique or the current manager Ernesto Valverde and was expected to be sold in the summer.
Liverpool and Arsenal were interested along with Spurs but neither were able to meet his valuation. However, according to Mundo Deportivo, Pochettino is ready to do what it takes to land him in January. The report claims that the Spanish outfit is ready to let him leave, but only with a buy-back option, so should Spurs go all in for Rafinha?
With the FIFA World Cup coming up next year, the 24-year old cannot risk not playing regularly and is ready to quit Camp Nou in search of regular football. A versatile midfielder, who can offer an attacking threat, Rafinha is at his best as a part of a midfield-three but can also do the job as a CAM or as a part of a two-man midfield, alongside a CDM.
Swift footed and hardworking, Rafinha is a gifted player with great technique, sensational vision and even better consistency. He is a product of the Barcelona academy but has played just 80 La Liga games so far in his career. He has also done a decent job on the wings and is exactly the kind of player Pochettino wanted in the summer.
His versatility will allow the Argentine to use him in any of the positions and though he may take time to walk into the first team, Rafinha will surely have an immediate impact in a system that suits him well.
Inter Milan and AC Milan are also interested in the player but moving to England will give the 24-year old enough exposure at the highest level to earn him a place in the national side. But is Rafinha a man Spurs need for the second half of the season? Should they have gone for him in the summer?
