Life takes many turns. Last summer Joan Laporta was looking for a buyer for Raphinha who would pay more than what he cost: 60 million. And he didn't find one.
Now he has what he was looking for on the table. And it not only improves on the 60 million he was asking for a few months ago. It multiplies it by more than three.
200 Million, Which Could Be More
200 million is the amount. And we are in the testing phase, which means the price could go up. Especially with the performance the player is delivering.
The club interested in Raphinha is Al Ahli of Jeddah, the same one that is after Vinícius.
In Saudi Arabia, they are starting to get tired of the delays Vinícius is giving them. They have the feeling that he is waiting to renew with Real Madrid under favorable conditions by taking advantage of the Arab offer.
Raphinha, the Alternative Plan to Vinícius
They have thought of Raphinha as an alternative plan. Al Ahli offers Raphinha amounts similar to those of Vinícius and could increase their initial offer to FC Barcelona for his signing.
In Saudi Arabia, the excellent playing moment of the Barça forward has not gone unnoticed, overshadowing the popularity that Vinícius has there. His performance in the Super Cup, precisely against Real Madrid, has contributed to his relaunch.
Joan Laporta is torn in a sea of doubts. 200 million would solve Barça's economic problems in one fell swoop. But Raphinha has a lot of weight in the current Barça, and giving him up would mean leaving a huge gap that is very difficult to fill.
The Most In-Form Footballer in Europe
There is the option of Neymar's return. But Raphinha offers more guarantees at present, at 28 years old, than a Neymar who seems to be living off past glories. Probably Raphinha is the most in-form footballer in European soccer at the moment and has no replacement at his level.
This season he has already played 35 matches (he doesn't get injured), scored 24 goals, and provided 15 assists. With worse numbers throughout the season, Vinícius was seen as a Ballon d'Or contender.
Last season, with Xavi, he was just another player. And he showed more shadows than lights. Now Barça can't be understood without him, everything goes through him.
Additionally, according to information from the Sport newspaper, Barça is already negotiating the renewal of a contract that ends in 2017.
Will Joan Laporta dare to sell the current leader of his team? Bread for today and hunger for tomorrow?
We must not forget that with the return to Camp Nou, the club will receive a significant increase in its revenue.
Surely the Barcelona fans would not forgive Laporta if, after letting Messi go, he did the same with Raphinha. No matter how much money the Arabs pay.