Former Barcelona director details how in-form winger’s signing came about – ‘it was an acceptable price’

Raphinha’s outstanding performance in leading Barcelona to a commanding 4-1 victory over Bayern Munich has undoubtedly put him under the spotlight. 

The Brazilian winger has received a wave of admiration for his contributions on the pitch and among those expressing praise is Jordi Cruyff, who served as Barcelona’s sporting director when Raphinha joined the club. 

It must be noted that Raphinha’s transfer to Barcelona involved a hefty fee of €58 million, plus an additional €7 million in potential bonuses. 

In a recent discussion, Cruyff reflected on how Raphinha’s signing came to be and highlighted the crucial role played by Deco, the current sporting director of Barcelona and Raphinha’s former agent. 

According to Cruyff, whenever the club sought insights on Portuguese or Brazilian players, they consistently turned to Deco for his expert opinion. 

“Whenever we had questions about Portuguese or Brazilian players we always asked him (Deco) for advice, as he knew them well,” he said. 

Interestingly, discussions about Raphinha took place without realizing that Deco was actually representing him at the time. 

“It’s true that we talked about Raphinha without knowing that he was the agent. What Deco said thissummer is a bit like what happened.”

Remembering the transfer and criticism

Barcelona faced criticism for the free involved in Raphinha’s transfer. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

He acknowledged the inevitable criticism that arose due to the substantial sum paid for the player. 

“When it goes badly you have to raise your hand, just as if it goes well. 

“It’s a job for the club, the coach and also with Mateu obviously, because we had to fit the numbers. But I remember this signing above all because of the moment it happened.” 

However, he provided context by recalling that just weeks after Raphinha’s transfer, other clubs in the Premier League made their own…

Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/former-barcelona-director-details-how-in-form-wingers-signing-came-about-it-was-an-acceptable-price/

Author : Swapnil Bhopatkar

Publish date : 2024-10-24 08:17:43

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