Pep Guardiola is experiencing his worst season since he arrived at Manchester City. With one match remaining to conclude the league phase of the Champions League, the English team is, at this moment, eliminated after the 4-2 defeat against PSG.
Moreover, things are not improving in the Premier League: City currently occupies the fifth place, far below the expectations that the Spanish coach had set. After several years of dominating English football and reaching the European elite, Guardiola's team is going through a crisis that casts doubt on the coach's continuity if there is no improvement.
After Mahrez's Departure, Guardiola Still Can't Find His Winger
Pep Guardiola's problems are multiple, but one of the aspects that concerns him the most is the lack of performance from certain key players on the wing. Riyad Mahrez's departure to Saudi football left a difficult void to fill. Although Jack Grealish and Jérémy Doku intended to fill that vacancy, neither has managed to provide the consistency or the expected level.
Erling Haaland remains the top scorer, but the Norwegian can't score goals by himself without the help of a winger to supply him with dangerous balls. Savinho is improving more and more, but he still doesn't have the regularity that the Algerian had. In this regard, City urgently needs reinforcement for its attack, and the lack of depth on the wings has been one of the many weak points of the season.
Pep Asks Laporta for Barça's Star
In this regard, according to "El Nacional.cat," Guardiola has set his sights on Raphinha, the winger as a possible solution to these problems. Manchester City would be willing to make a multimillion-dollar offer for the player, with the intention of making him one of the star figures of his team in the future.
The goal would be to have a player who provides both imbalance and goals on the wings, qualities that Raphinha is showing at Barça. If this signing materializes, the Brazilian would join a team in need of a reference in the attack, capable of providing the quality, work, and drive that is currently lacking.
He is Untouchable
However, Raphinha's future at Barça seems well secured at this moment. After a brilliant start to the season, the Brazilian has found his best version with Hansi Flick, and has established himself as one of Barça's key pieces this campaign. To date, Raphinha has already accumulated 22 goals and 11 assists halfway through the season, showing a level of performance that has surprised both locals and outsiders on the continent.
Alongside Lamine Yamal and Pedri, he has become one of the team's great stars, being essential in both League and Champions matches. With this resurgence, Raphinha has earned an untouchable status, and his departure from Barça in the short term seems more than unlikely. The Catalan club is clear that the Brazilian is an essential pillar to continue fighting for titles in the immediate future and that he even deserves a renewal.