According to sources, after Raphinha turned down the Reds in the summer, Jurgen Klopp informed the Barcelona winger that he is no longer wanted by Liverpool.
Raphinha had his heart set on a transfer from Leeds United to Barcelona, despite the Merseysiders being one of several teams to show interest in the Brazilian throughout the summer.
But things haven’t quite gone according to plan for Raphinha at Camp Nou under Xavi, with the 26-year-old starting just 12 of their 21 La Liga games while he competes for a starting position.
After bolstering their attack with Fabio Carvalho and Darwin Nunez in the summer transfer window, Liverpool added Cody Gakpo.
And with Liverpool presently eighth in the Premier League, the Reds will likely focus on bolstering their midfield in the summer. Both fans and analysts have been particularly critical of that position.
On Monday night, Liverpool’s team ended a four-game losing streak by defeating Everton 2-0 in the Merseyside derby, but they remain nine points behind fourth-place Newcastle United, whom they face on Saturday.
In the upcoming transfer window, it is unlikely that the Reds would spend a significant amount of money on their attack, and the Spanish daily Nacional maintains that Klopp “does not forgive” Raphinha, a “traitor” for Liverpool.
According to the article, Raphinha is ‘unhappy’ with his playing time at Barcelona and after Ousmane Dembele returns from injury, the Brazilian international ‘will be a substitute again.
Chelsea, Tottenham, and Arsenal are all interested in Raphinha’s transfer this summer, while Nacional reports that Raphinha’s representatives have “dared to contact Liverpool” about a transfer. Barcelona is reportedly “considering” the deal.
Following Sadio Mane’s transfer to Bayern Munich, Liverpool considered Raphinha as a potential replacement; however, Klopp “no longer wants to know anything about Raphinha.”
Klopp’s “doors are closed, and they don’t forgive him for not having a bit more patience” before agreeing to a transfer to Barca in the summer, according to one source.
Before suffering an injury earlier in the year that ended his season, Roberto Firmino was one of Liverpool’s brightest stars. The Brazilian is still the club’s third-leading scorer this year.
However, because his contract expires at the end of the current campaign, there is a lot of ambiguity over his future with the team, and Nacional asserts that the Brazilian is ‘tempted’ by the possibility of moving to Real Madrid.
Real Madrid “is thinking of him today to boost” their attack, and the Liverpool forward would be keen despite his likely “role of replacement.”