Tottenham’s transfer focus has reportedly shifted from Ivan Toney to Barcelona’s Raphinha, but latest reports indicate a potential complication in their pursuit due to interest from the Saudi Pro League.
Football Transfers revealed Tottenham’s shift from Ivan Toney to targeting Raphinha, but Barcelona’s €70m valuation for the winger has made a direct purchase a financial challenge for Spurs.
Recent details from SPORT suggest Tottenham’s intention to propose a significant cash offer alongside a player swap, possibly involving defender Cristian Romero.
However, as per the latest from the same outlet, Tottenham’s efforts to secure Raphinha might encounter hurdles as Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal, who currently lead the Saudi Pro League, have shown a ‘keen interest’ in signing the Brazilian winger.
Al-Hilal’s pursuit comes following Neymar’s injury, leaving them eager to bolster their attacking options.
The Saudi club’s financial resources outmatches Tottenham’s and will be able to blow any Spurs offer out of the water. This poses as a potential stumbling block in their pursuit of Raphinha.
Raphinha had an impactful debut season at Barcelona, contributing 10 goals and playing a vital role in securing the La Liga title under Xavi. However, his game time has reduced this season, with limited starts under his belt.
Raphinha has proven himself in the Premier League with Leeds and was one of the stand out players in the league during his two years at the club scoring 17 goals and assisting 12. Which is why a return to the Premier League with Tottenham would have been attractive for the player.
But the lucrative offers from Saudi are not going to be easy to ignore as evident by the recent transfers of some of the biggest names in world football.
