Spurs join the race for Barcelona star

Spurs will be hoping to bounce back against Manchester United after Ryan Mason was appointed interim manager earlier this week.

This managerial change marks Mason’s second spell in charge of Spurs after he took charge when the North London outfit sacked Jose Mourinho in 2021.

The former Hull and Spurs midfielder was installed as manager by Daniel Levy following the dismissal of ex-interim manager Cristian Stellini on Monday.

Stellini was assistant manager to Antonio Conte before he took charge when the Italian parted from the club earlier this season.

However, the Italian was given his marching orders following Tottenham’s 6-1 defeat against Newcastle United on Sunday.

The North London outfit look set to undergo a summer transfer overhaul to freshen up the squad for Conte’s permanent successor.

According to AS, Tottenham have joined the race for Barcelona forward Raphinha.

The star forward joined Barcelona from Leeds United for around £55m last summer and has impressed at times during his brief spell in Catalonia.

Arsenal were linked with a move for the player, who played a crucial role in guiding Leeds away from the Premier League drop zone last season.

However, the Catalan giants decided to pull the trigger before anyone else and signed the forward.

Raphinha has had a mixed campaign at Barcelona this season.

Raphinha, 26, has played 43 matches for Barcelona this season, scoring nine goals and providing 10 assists.

The 26-year-old therefore has plenty of potential suitors sniffing around him including Spurs, Arsenal and Newcastle.

Raphinha has bolstered the firepower of Xavi’s squad this season and has helped Barcelona to top spot in La Liga.

Spurs could make a move to land the Brazil international as they look to bolster their struggling squad ahead of next term, while the potential departure of talisman Harry Kane would only worsen their need for attacking reinforcements.

The 26-year-old signed a five-year deal which will keep him at Camp Nou until 2027, but that may be unlikely with the amount of interest he is gathering from the Premier League.

The Catalonia outfit may be forced to sell the Brazilian forward if they continue to face financial difficulty, although Barcelona would most likely want to recoup the £55m they spent if they were to sell the ex-Leeds United man.