Added on April 2, 2020 Category News

Raphael Guerreiro may reinforce Portuguese contingent in Barcelona

According to news from the Catalan newspaper Sport, Barcelona will have the Portuguese-Frenchman of Borussia Dortmund under an eye with a view to strengthening his left side for the next season. And the transfer may even be made at acceptable values ​​in times of crisis.

An old dating

The 26-year-old Portuguese player has been on the Barcelona list for several years, having even been a possibility for the Catalan club before leaving Lorient to join Borussia Dortmund. Since then, Guerreiro has established himself in German and European football, being equally indisputable holder in the national team where he won the European Championship in 2016 and the League of Nations in 2018.

In 2016, Raphael Guerreiro preferred Dortmund because it was a club where he would have a better chance of playing regularly than in Barcelona, ​​where Jordi Alba was an absolute starter and was going through an extraordinary moment in his career. Four years later, the scenario of union between Barcelona and Guerreiro is again emphasizing before the apparent bet of Barcelona to reinforce their left wing for the next season.

Characteristics are based on Barcelona’s desire

Raphael Guerreiro is a full-back who stands out above all for his offensive quality, possessing a lot of technique and a very interesting crossing accuracy, and he is also excellent in the combination with his colleagues in short passes, something that perfectly fits Quique Setien’s style of play. .

I recently approached Barcelona’s interest in Alex Telles and the truth is that either player could fit in well with the Blaugrana game, although Telles is more physical than Guerreiro, but the Portuguese may have a style of play that allows him to fit in better on a short pass system with Frenkie de Jong, Lionel Messi or Arthur.

In short, Guerreiro seems to have a very similar profile to Jordi Alba and could be an excellent successor to the Spaniard at a time when his 31 years seem to start to weigh a little. Complementing Alba’s experience with Warrior virtuosity depending on the needs of the game could be an extra asset for Quique Setien next season, and the deal can even be done for values ​​that are not exactly prohibitive in a phase of pandemic crisis in the world.

25 Million Euros That Don’t Scare

The Portuguese left wing arrived at Borussia Dortmund in a contract that cost the Germanic coffers around 12 million euros, but certainly the club’s directors did not regret this investment. It is true that physical problems have accompanied and limited the evolution of the Portuguese-French player somewhat, however, he remains an excellent asset for Dortmund, namely in the offensive aspect where he contributes strongly with goals and assistance from the left side .

This season, he has already added five goals and five assists after 29 matches, and last season he contributed six goals and six assists in 32 games, notably the four goals scored in the 18/19 edition of the Champions League. In short, he is a player who has played his role well on German soil and the club will not want to be free for too little.

Even so, Guerreiro cannot be considered an indispensable part of the club, so a transfer of around 25 million euros seems perfectly feasible.

On the side of Borussia Dortmund, it will be an interesting fit that will double the amount invested in the player at a time when he has already counted on his services for four seasons, and on the side of Barcelona it would probably be a nice complement to Jordi Alba because it would give an equal offensive contribution. to the Catalan team, in addition to a lot of technical quality.

In the case of the player himself, it is evident that any football professional will dream of representing a world colossus like Barcelona, ​​regardless of their personal tastes. In Barcelona, ​​Raphael Guerreiro would have a better chance of winning collective titles than in Dortmund and the Champions League could be closer. In addition, the international reputation that he would have when playing for Barcelona should make him even more untouchable in Portugal’s national team.

On the other hand, his adaptation would also be facilitated by the fact of joining Nélson Semedo in Catalonia. The ex-Benfica right back has had a somewhat winding course in Barcelona, ​​but he seems to be finally winning his place and could be an excellent aid to Guerreiro in the first months at a club of this size.