Journalist names ‘magic’ ex-Premier League winger who’s on Liverpool’s summer ‘shortlist’ | OneFootball

Liverpool are believed to have a former Premier League winger on their summer transfer shortlist.

Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri took to X on Monday night with an update on the Reds’ plans for when the market reopens on 14 June, with PSV Eindhoven’s Johan Bakayoko the main focus, although he also mentioned a forward who was previously in the English top flight.

The reporter claimed that LFC have Barcelona star Raphinha ‘on the shortlist’ of prospective attacking additions as an eventual successor to Mo Salah on the right flank.

The 27-year-old Brazil international spent two seasons with Leeds United before moving to Camp Nou in 2022.

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When looking at what those who’ve worked with Raphinha have said about him, one term has cropped up on multiple occasions.

Upon the Brazilian’s arrival at Barcelona in 2022, club president Joan Laporta spoke of how the winger ‘takes the baton of illusion and magic’ (GOAL), while his former Leeds teammate Dan James hailed him as a ‘magician’ who ‘can do absolutely anything on the pitch’ (FIFA).

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That prior Premier League experience should help him slot in seamlessly at Anfield if Liverpool were to sign him, while he showed his ability to make an impact on the big stage by netting three goals in Barca’s Champions League quarter-final elimination by Paris Saint-Germain.

Raphinha ranks among the top 2% of positional peers in Europe’s five main leagues this season for non-penalty xG per 90 minutes (0.45), and in the top 1% for assists (0.55) and shots (4.06) per game (via FBref), so he’s proven that he can consistently make a telling contribution in the final third.

A tweet published by Salah on Monday night strongly suggested that he won’t be leaving the Reds any time soon (thank goodness), but we wouldn’t be overly surprised if Richard Hughes were to pursue the Barcelona and Brazil winger during the summer as an eventual replacement for the legendary Egyptian.

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