Liverpool Transfer Rumors 2017: Reds Interested in Barcelona's Rafinha

By Noriel See, Christian Post Contributor Monday, July 31, 2017

Rafinha Alcántara may have struggled to secure a spot in the first team with Barcelona, but he seems to be drawing some interest from a contender in the Premier League.

According to Catalan news outlet Mundo Deportivo, Liverpool are planning to pursue Barcelona's Rafinha and they are reportedly preparing a bid worth between €30 million and €40 million (around £26 million and £36 million) for the Brazilian midfielder. He has a €75 million (around £67 million) release clause.

The report also claims that club manager Jürgen Klopp has asked sporting director Michael Edwards to make sure that they stay ahead of their Premier League rivals in the race to sign Rafinha. Tottenham and Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing him as well.

Barcelona have been pursuing Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho for some time now, and it is said that they want €120 million in return for their best player. That asking price should make Barça think twice, but if Neymar leaves this summer, they should get the necessary funds to meet Liverpool's valuation. It's also possible that Barcelona may use Rafinha to lower the asking price by including him in a player-plus-cash swap deal.

Mundo Deportivo says that Liverpool want the two deals to be treated separately, but previous reports have mentioned this possibility. In fact, some reports have claimed that Denis Suárez may be included in the deal as well.

Of course, Barça still have to convince the Reds to part ways with Coutinho. So far, Liverpool have insisted that he's not for sale.

Despite his struggles, Rafinha is still young and he has shown flashes of brilliance during his tenure with Barcelona. The midfielder wants to cement a place in the 2018 Brazilian World Cup squad and he wants be play regular first-team footballer next season. He should get the chance to shine if he joins Liverpool.