‘Raphinha will stay’ – Joan Laporta talks Brazilian’s future and says Barcelona ‘excited’ about Karim Adeyemi
· Yahoo Sports
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has insisted Raphinha will not be leaving the club this summer amid continued talk about a possible exit.
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Speculation that Raphinha could be sold has cropped up again amid talk that Barcelona have agreed a deal for Karim Adeyemi, but Laporta says that is not the case.
“Raphinha will stay. We have no interest in him leaving Barça. He’s a key player. With Gordon and Adeyemi, I see that we’re strengthening the attack, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to let Raphinha go, as he’s crucial for us,” he told reporters after arriving in the US for the World Cup semi-finals.
“It’s a shame that last season he couldn’t be at his best in the final stages of La Liga, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey. The results would have been different.”
Laporta also revealed that Adeyemi is a player the club have liked for some time now: “We are very excited about Adeyemi. We’ve liked him for a while. He’s dangerous and fast, and Deco handled the signing very well. The news came out when it was meant to.”
Barcelona are expected to wrap up a deal for Adeyemi this week, while Raphinha is currently enjoying a break after the World Cup and will then return to the club for pre-season.