Which Man Utd player would Raphinha want at Barcelona? Brazilian winger preparing to face ‘great leader’ in Europa League

Raphinha has picked out fellow Brazilian, and “great leader”, Casemiro as the one Manchester United player that he would like at Barcelona.

Brazilian moved to Camp Nou in 2022
Is a big admirer of fellow countryman in England
Set to meet in continental competition

WHAT HAPPENED? It is unlikely that the superstar holding midfielder will ever tread such a path due to his strong ties with Real Madrid, with the 30-year-old bringing a nine-year stint at Santiago Bernabeu to a close when moving to England in the summer of 2022. Casemiro is now preparing to face his former Clasico rivals with United in the knockout play-off round of the Europa League, with Raphinha aware of the problems that a world-class operator will pose to Barca when they welcome Premier League heavyweights to Camp Nou on Thursday.

WHAT THEY SAID: Raphinha has told ESPN Brasil when asked to name the player he would most like to see swap life in Manchester for that in Catalunya: “Casemiro is a player that I always talk about to my friends and family. He’s a player that I’d particularly like to have on my team. In addition to the experience he has in football and all the things he has achieved in football, he’s a great leader, he’s a great person, and he manages to complete a team with the quality he has. For me, he’s one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Casemiro will be available to United when they pay a visit to Barcelona despite currently serving a domestic suspension for the red card that he collected during a Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

Getty

Getty

WHAT NEXT? United travel to Camp Nou having suffered just one defeat in their last 17 games in all competitions, while La Liga table-toppers Barcelona have gone 16 outings since they last came unstuck – with 14 victories inside 90 minutes of action claimed during that run.