Are Barcelona making the same mistake again with pursuit of winger?

It was almost as if deliberate. On the same day that an interview nearly an hour long was released with Raphinha, in which he talked at length about dealing with the mental stress of his summer, the first stories in months about Barcelona’s intentions to sign a player in his position emerged.

The Blaugrana tried to sign Nico Williams in the summer, and while that move did not come off, the Brazilian winger was affected by the issue. Raphinha spoke about how difficult it was to deal with the doubts at the club about him, and feeling treated like a commodity. This week reports in the Catalan media have reported that the left-wing position is still a priority for the club, with fresh links to Williams and AC Milan forward Rafael Leao appearing.

If there intention is to gamble, they might be better off picking up a Pulsz promo code. For the first time at Barcelona, Raphinha has been meeting expectations, and indeed surpassing them, with 9 goals and 8 assists in just 14 appearances so far. This comes after his mental battles, in which he did not feel completely important under Xavi Hernandez, and did not perform in the same way he is now.

Part of that is Hansi Flick’s use of him, and the way he has changed the style of the team. The Blaugrana are playing much more direct football when they win it back, and his free role on the left was something seen in Xavi’s latter days, but not with the same preciseness nor fluidity as is being seen now. His hat-trick against Bayern Munich spoke of a confidence not yet seen from him until this season too.

The possibility of a fresh start under Flick, and with a fresh impetus, Raphinha is doing all he can to turn his €58m signing into a success. By pursuing other players in his position, and doing so in a manner that is being public, there is undoubtedly a chance that they derail Raphinha in his change. On first viewing, it seems absurd that they would risk playing with the confidence of the Brazilian.

On the other hand, Barcelona could argue that the prospect of being forced out of the club has in fact motivated Raphinha and pushed him into this form he is in now. Few Barcelona fans are calling for Williams or Leao now, and with three years left on his deal, it seems like Raphinha is finally where they want him to be. Time will tell if they need to be pursuing other options, and in particular, if doing so publicly is the right course of action.