Tottenham: Raphinha ‘one to watch’ for Spurs to sign next after February transfer news
Barcelona winger Raphinha is “one to watch” for Tottenham during the summer transfer window, after links emerged between Spurs and the 27-year-old, according to Alan Hutton.
Reports emerged from football agent Paul O’Keefe on X (5 February) that the Brazilian international is on Ange Postecoglou’s list of targets as he looks to add to his squad, particularly in attack during the summer transfer window.
Raphinha impressed during his first spell in the Premier League with Leeds United, where the 27-year-old managed to score 11 goals and pick up three assists in his final season at Elland Road under the management of Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch.
While Hutton admits that Tottenham already have a lot of competition in the forward areas of Postecoglou’s squad, he thinks that the Brazilian winger would be a natural fit in Spurs’ high-pressing frontline.
“I think he would fit in,” Hutton told Tottenham News.
“We saw him at Leeds and under the managers that he had there, he was more than capable of working hard and creating opportunities on fast transitions and fast breaks.
“I think he fits in, the biggest part of it is the working hard side of it. That’s what you want him to do, he needs to be part of that high press and you can’t get away with kind of slacking off.
“They’ve got a lot of decent players in advanced positions so he would have a lot of competition there. I think he could come in and do well so it would be one to watch.”
Will Tottenham look to sign Raphinha from Barcelona this summer?
Spurs and Postecoglou are well-stocked in the forward areas currently, with the likes of Son Heung-min, Richarlison, Dejan Kulusevski and Timo Werner all impressing at times this season, but that may not be the case by the summer.
Werner was only signed on an initial loan basis and while there is an option to buy the German, there has been no suggestion yet that Spurs would be keen to activate such a clause, while some have suggested Son could leave if Tottenham miss out on the Champions League.
If there is movement in and out of North London this summer, Raphinha ticks all the boxes to become a Spurs winger, but Postecoglou and those above him may opt to invest in other areas of the pitch instead.
In other Tottenham news, Hutton has blasted Spurs over a habit that could cost them Champions League football next season
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