Manchester United have reportedly launched an unbelievable record-breaking bid to sign Barcelona star Raphinha, with a strong emphasis on ‘unbelievable’.
Fichajes reveals the Red Devils are intent on making a “splash in the transfer market” this summer and have identified the 28-year-old winger as a key target to help Ruben Amorim bolster his misfiring forward line.
As a result, the Spanish outlet contends, United have “put a €150 million offer on the table for Raphinha,” who has enjoyed the best campaign of his career in under Hansi Flick this season.
The Brazil international returned an impressive 34 goals and 25 assists as he helped propel Blaugrana to a triumphant La Liga and Copa del Rey double. He is considered a strong contender for this year’s Ballon d’Or, alongside Barca teammate Lamine Yamal.
United’s offer for Raphinha – worth £128 million – surpasses the current record for a transfer by a British club, held by Chelsea after their £115 million capture of Moises Caicedo last summer from Brighton & Hove Albion.
But this outrageous bid arrives off the back of the worst season at Old Trafford in the Premier League era with Ruben Amorim’s side finishing 15th in the table. A painful year defined by dreadful performances on the pitch and brutal cost-cutting measures off it. A nightmare campaign which culminated in the dismal 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final, confirming there will be no European football at the Theatre of Dreams next season.
In March, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who gained full control over the football operation last year, claimed United could have gone “bust at Christmas” if not for INEOS’ financial cuts over the past twelve months as the club had “run out of money”.
But fast-forward three months and United have now tabled a bid for a 28-year-old winger which shatters both the club and country’s record for a transfer fee at a time when every penny is being counted at Old Trafford.
Fichajes even details how Barcelona are shocked by the offer – “the figure has even surprised the Camp Nou offices where such a large offer for the Brazilian winger…was not expected” – further demonstrating the ‘unbelievable’ nature of the report.
Something does not add up; and The Peoples Person wagers it’s not due to miscalculations in Manchester or Catalonia.
Rather, it’s a story without credibility that is in the literal sense of the word, unbelievable.
United may hold interest in Raphinha as a target this summer. The club may even be ready to make a bid for the 28-year-old forward. But the idea that the Red Devils have already tabled an offer worth £128 million pushes the boundaries of credulity from reality to fantasy.
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
