What’s the story?
Juventus have well and truly established themselves as a force to reckon with in Europe and now according to reports in Italy, they have agreed a €25 million deal for Barcelona midfielder Rafinha. The La Masia graduate has made 33 appearances this season, but has failed to establish himself as a regular starter. According to La Gazzetta Dello Sport, the Old Lady are ready to give the 24-year-old an extended run in the first team.
In case you didn’t know...
The €25 million sum offered for Rafinha is exactly the sum Bayern Munich offered Barcelona to sign his brother Thiago. Thiago has gone on to become one of the best midfielders in Europe at the moment and Rafinha will be hoping to follow in his brother’s footsteps.
Rafinha has continuously been linked with a move away from the Camp Nou with reports suggesting that the Catalan giants want to revamp their midfield in the summer transfer window.
Also read: Miralem Pjanic or Paul Pogba: Who's had the better season?
The heart of the matter
Juventus have shown that they can make some astute signings in the transfer market. Despite selling Paul Pogba to Manchester United, the Old Lady have not taken a step back as he was ably replaced by Miralem Pjanic. And the Bosnian has repaid their faith – ensuring that the Turin giants do not miss the world’s most expensive footballer.
However, although the Champions League finalists have had a stellar campaign, there is no denying the fact that their midfield manned by the likes of Marchisio and Khedira is slightly ageing and some fresh legs and dynamism will definitely add another dimension to their already excellent team.
Also, even though Barcelona were keen on a swap deal involving Rafinha and Coutinho, Liverpool’s reluctance to sell their star man has seen the Catalan giants agree on a deal with Juventus for their midfielder.
What’s next?
A lot of Barcelona’s transfer activity will depend on who the new manager is. Also, the Catalan giants will be wary of making the same mistake that they made with Thiago and it will be interesting to see if they do indeed end up selling the talented midfielder to Juventus.
Also read: £70m midfielder prefers move to Barcelona over Real Madrid
Author’s Take
Barcelona look like they will spend some big money in the transfer window. With the likes of Dele Alli and Marco Verratti linked with the club, the Catalan giants might be looking to sell an effective squad player like Rafinha in the summer transfer window.
The move also makes sense for Juventus as the 24-year-old La Masia graduate will definitely add some legs, energy and a new dimension to the Serie A giants’ midfield.
