Barcelona winger unaware of Manchester City interest, very happy at the club

With Riyad Mahrez sealing a transfer away from Manchester City to Saudi Arabia, the Premier League and European champions have reportedly cast their sights on Barcelona winger Raphinha as a replacement.

It was even suggested that there had already been some contact between the Cityzens’ director Txiki Begiristain and his Barcelona counterpart Deco over a move.

But, according to a new update from journalist Toni Juanmarti, neither Raphinha nor Barcelona know anything about the interest from Manchester City at this point.

The 26-year-old has been at the club for just a year, having arrived in a deal worth €58 million plus €7 million in add-ons. He enjoyed a fine 2022/23 campaign with Barça, playing an important role in their La Liga title triumph.

And, as things stand, the Brazilian international is very happy at the club and is 100% keen on staying put.

The sentiments are echoed by manager Xavi Hernandez, who has shown his trust and confidence in the winger and is fully counting on him for the future.

Juanmarti further adds that there are other clubs in England that are more interested in Raphinha than Manchester City. Despite that, though, the player is not considering a departure and is only thinking about Barcelona.

It is no secret that Barça need to make some player sales in the coming days to comply with the Financial Fair Play regulations. But, as things stand, it appears very unlikely that the La Liga champions would part ways with Raphinha to achieve that objective.

The winger is happy and wants to continue at the club and enjoys the backing of the manager. So, a move to Manchester City seems a very distant possibility.