Three reasons why Xavi wants both Raphinha and Dembele at Barcelona

FC Barcelona’s transfer window in the summer of 2022 has been like no other. Despite their financial conditions and economic problems, Joan Laporta and Mateu Alemany have made a significant impact on the transfer window with the marquee signing of Robert Lewandowski.

The signings of Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, and Raphinha have only improved the quality of the squad. The Catalans have added a bucketload of talent and experience to their squad, which for a lack of better terms was mediocre at best last season.

To make the summer even sweeter for the Culés around the world, Barça confirmed a surprising contract renewal with La Liga’s top assist-getter last season, Ousmane Dembélé.

It was a fair shock to world football considering just a couple of weeks prior to the contract renewal, it was definite that Dembélé would not be a Barça player next season, and the Spanish club would be looking to replace him with Leeds United’s Raphinha.

Fast forward a few weeks, and Raphinha is now a Barça player and so is Dembélé. This brings forward a very question how do the Catalans even cope with such a stacked frontline, and also why Xavi was so adamant that Laporta strike a deal with both Dembélé and Raphinha?

Here we take a look at the three major reasons Xavi wants both Dembélé and Raphinha at Camp Nou.

Raphinha was an asset too costly to lose

Ever since Raphinha’s debut with Leeds United in 2020, it was clear the winger was something special right from the heart of Brazil’s samba football. His exquisite control over the ball combined with his quick feet makes up for something every manager wishes his winger has.

That is exactly what Xavi had seen in Raphinha, who despite playing in a similar position as Dembélé, offers up his abilities in slightly different methods. On top of that, he is entering the peak years of his career and has proven his worth in England with top performances for Leeds.

Given the overall qualities that Raphinha manages to offer, missing out on his capture, at a time when the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur were all gunning for his signing would have been a mistake by Barcelona.

Difference in profiles

While in theory, Dembélé and Raphinha may seem like the exact same profile: players who like the ball at their feet, and going at defenders; their profiles differ massively when you do a proper deep dive into their techniques.

Dembélé is a winger who uses his ability to use both his feet to confuse the opposition as to his intentions, usually leaving the defender in two minds, whether to cover his inside and stop an attempted shot or to stop the run out wide which may give the winger an easier time finding a target man.

Raphinha is the type of dribbler who takes his time on the ball to lull the defender into a sense of security and uses his quick feet to beat his man.

As for their playmaking and ball progression, Dembélé stands out as one of the best in the game, however, Raphinha’s superiority in shot-taking is apparent.

The Brazilian also offers something different in terms of his spatial awareness and quick thinking in the final third. Having a different profile gives Xavi a sort of tactical flexibility to suss out the key areas of his setup for the next season

Dembélé & Fati’s injury history

Given how well-documented the physical condition of the players is in these days with advanced physiology in sports, it is obvious that there has been a serious study regarding Dembélé’s physical conditioning before he was offered his new contract.

The Frenchman has had an injury-stunted career so far having missed over 100 games for the Catalans since his transfer to the club in 2017. Added to that, with the concerns around Ansu Fati’s knee and his recent run of injuries, Barcelona seem to be erring on the side of caution with the signing of Raphinha.

The kind of risks Barça are taking on their short-term success, they cannot afford for an injury to Dembélé and Fati to derail their entire campaign. With the World Cup on the horizon, the risk of injury is further heightened.

Hence, the signing of Raphina who is known for his physical fitness, having been a part of and endured the ‘Murderball’ of Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds.