“Deserves the Ballon d’Or for how he trains” - Pau Victor salutes Barcelona teammate for his work ethic
Barcelona attacker Pau Victor has heaped praise on teammate Raphinha for his work ethic. He said the Brazilian deserves the Ballon d'Or just for the hard yards he puts in during training.
Victor recently talked about how hard Raphinha works behind the scenes. The youngster said (via Barca Universal):
“Deserves the Ballon d’Or for how he trains.”
Club manager Hansi Flick had praised the former Leeds United star last month for his attitude during training. He also highlighted how Raphinha's pressing helps his teammates on the pitch, saying he never had a player like the Brazilian. The Barcelona manager had noted (Barca Blaugranes):
“He is a good example of how the team can function. He always has a good attitude in training and in matches. For us he is very important, also because of the counter-pressure he does. And also because of how he prepares to score.
"He has good dynamics with the ball and he has had an extraordinary match. His offensive and defensive dynamics, and his good technique, are something special. I have never had a player like him and he helps us a lot.”
Raphinha has been in fine form this season and scored in the Clasico as well. The winger has scored five goals in the UEFA Champions League and another seven in LaLiga this season so far, while also registering six assists in the league.
Liverpool urged to sign Barcelona star Raphinha
Former Liverpool player Jermaine Pennant has urged the Reds to sign Barcelona star Raphinha as Mohamed Salah's replacement. He believes that the Brazilian is the ideal player to take the right wing for the Merseyside giants. He told Instant Casino (via Liverpool Echo):
"If Mohamed Salah does leave, I can see Raphinha returning to the Premier League in a Liverpool shirt to replace him. He's quick and fits that same style of play on the right-hand side and cutting in; he's very tricky, and that's what Liverpool have now with Luis Diaz and Salah.
"He's got that eye for goal which we've seen from him at Barcelona, where he's doing really well – scoring a hat-trick against Bayern Munich and playing a big part in their recent 4-0 El Clasico win against Real Madrid.
"His experience at Leeds would make him a good fit at Liverpool – he's comfortable in the Premier League, and he managed to make an impact and score goals there despite them struggling as a team. You'd imagine that a team like Liverpool would step him up a level with how attacking they are and how comfortable they are going forward."
Mohamed Salah is in the final year of his contract, with no fresh reports coming out of the club over an extension. Barcelona were reportedly open to selling Raphinha in the summer but their rumored failure to sign Nico Williams saw them keep hold of the Brazilian.