Barcelona Transfer News Roundup: Tottenham eyeing Raphinha, Leroy Sane turns down Catalans, and more - February 4, 2024
Barcelona secured a 3-1 win over Alaves at the Mendizorroza on Saturday (February 4) in La Liga. Robert Lewandowski, Ilkay Gundogan, and Vitor Roque all got on the scoresheet to register three vital points for outgoing manager Xavi.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur are planning to take Raphinha back to the Premier League. Elsewhere, Leroy Sane has turned down the chance to join the Catalans this summer.
On that note, let's take a look at the major Barcelona transfer stories from February 4, 2024.
Tottenham Hotspur eyeing Raphinha
Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on Raphinha, according to Relovo. The Brazilian forward has failed to live up to expectations since arriving from Leeds United and Barcelona are willing to let him go. The 27-year-old has appeared 20 times across competitions this season, registering four goals and seven assists.
Raphinha wants to stay and fight for his place at Camp Nou, but his departure could help the club address their poor finances. The emergence of Lamine Yamal could also convince the Catalans to listen to offers for the Brazilian at the end of the season.
Spurs are attentive to the situation and want the 27-year-old this summer. Raphinha already has Premier League experience, so he could hit the ground running with a move to London.
Leroy Sane turns down Barcelona
Leroy Sane has no desire to join Barcelona this summer, according to SPORT. The German forward has entered the final 18 months of his contract with Bayern Munich and is yet to receive a contract renewal offer. Sane has done a decent job for the Bavarians this season, registering nine goals and 12 assists from 29 outings.
The 28-year-old, however, has failed to live up to expectations since arriving at the Allianz Arena from Manchester City in 2020. The Catalans are looking to take advantage of the situation, especially since Sane could be available for a cut-price deal this summer. The Spanish giants even reached out to the player to discuss a potential move. However, Sane has turned them down, as he wants to wait for Bayern Munich to offer him a new deal.
Fabrizio Romano sheds light on Lucas Bergvall saga
Acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano has said that Tottenham Hotspur won the race for Lucas Bergvall by offering a better overall package. The Swedish teenager looked set to join Barcelona from Djurgarden this winter before Spurs hijacked the deal. Bervall will move to London at the end of the season.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano added that the presence of countryman Dejan Kulusevski helped tilt the tide towards the Premier League side.
"Last week Tottenham organised a trip for Bergvall and his family to visit the Premier League club’s training ground this Monday. This gave the player the chance to speak with many people at the London club, which included Ange Postecoglou, who had conversations with the Swedish prospect. In the end, Spurs offered a higher fee to Djugardens than Barcelona and also convinced the player with their long-term project for the club," wrote Romano.
He continued:
"The London side also lured the midfielder to North London by offering him the chance to enter the first-team squad very soon, which is exciting for any young player. In addition to this, the influence of Dejan Kulusevski played a role in Bergvall choosing Tottenham over Barca, who spoke to his fellow countryman about the Premier League club and how everything works at Spurs.”
Romano went on to add that the Catalans considered themselves the favorites for Bergvall and have been shocked by the developments.
"I can tell you that Tottenham successfully convincing Bergvall to join them was a shock for Barcelona as they were really convinced that they were close to signing the Swedish talent. The La Liga side were winning the fight for the player in the months leading up to January as Inter and Eintracht Frankfurt also wanted the midfielder but he kept saying he wanted to go Barca," wrote Romano.
The Spanish champions could rue missing out on the emerging prospect, especially since they desperately need midfield reinforcements.