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Barcelona secured a 1-0 win over Las Palmas in La Liga on Saturday, March 30, at home. Raphinha scored the only goal of the night to take his team to within five points of table toppers Real Madrid, who have a game in hand.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has backed attacker Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d'Or in the future. Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur have been advised to move for Barca midfielder Raphinha this summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Barcelona transfer stories as on March 31, 2024:
Lionel Messi tips Lamine Yamal for Ballon d'Or
Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has backed Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d'Or in the future.
The Argentinean maestro, who has won the coveted award a record eight times, is plying his trade at Inter Miami. Yamal, meanwhile, has exploded into the scenes at Camp Nou this season and has been compared with the 36-year-old.
Speaking to L'Equipe, Lionel Messi also backed Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior to be in the running for Ballon d'Or.
"There may be a very beautiful rivalry in the coming years with players like Haaland, Mbappe, Vinicius, and many young players competing for the Ballon d’Or.
"I also think that Lamine Yamal, who is still very young and now plays for Barcelona, will play a prominent role and fight for it in the future too," said Lionel Messi.
He continued:
"Certainly there will be others competing for it, new players that we do not know will appear, because there are always new players, and I think it will be a very beautiful era to enjoy.”
The 16-year-old Yamal has already appeared 40 times across competitions for the Blaugrana this season, registering six goals and seven assists.
Tottenham Hotspur urged to sign Raphinha by former player
Former Tottenham Hotspur right-back Alan Hutton has advised the club to target Raphinha at the end of the season.
The Brazilian forward has been in and out of Barcelona's starting XI this season, but has still managed six goals and 10 assists in 29 games across competitions. However, with Lamine Yamal now ahead of him in the pecking order, the Blaugrana could offload Raphinha to raise funds for the summer.
Acclaimed transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has recently reported that Spurs are eyeing the 27-year-old with interest. Speaking to Tottenham News, Hutton saaid that Raphinha ticks a lot of boxes for his former side.
“He’s got the ability and he’ll be given that freedom to express himself. I think a player like him, that’s what he needs. Maybe at Barcelona is it a little bit more structured?
"Has he not been given the time on the pitch that he would like to go and show that ability? It’s a league that he knows well if he comes back to England, he knows what it is all about," said Hutton.
He continued:
“It is a lot of money however, I don’t know how much football he’s played this season but it’s a lot of money to pay.
"Is Daniel Levy willing to splash that when he might be looking at other areas within the team? It will be an interesting one, but definitely somebody that ticks a lot of boxes for Tottenham.”
Raphinha's contract with the reigning La Liga champions expires in 2027.
Barcelona not planning Frenkie de Jong exit, says Fabrizio Romano
Barcelona are not planning to cash in on Frenkie de Jong this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Dutch midfielder remains a key figure at the Camp Nou, but speculation is ripe regarding his future. A recent report from AS said that the Blaugrana are looking to offload De Jong amid interest from Manchester United, but Romano has refuted those claims.
In his column for Caught Offside, the transfer guru added that the 26-year-old is happy to stay with the La Liga champions.
“Despite the new rumours that have been in the news this week which suggest that Barcelona are considering selling Frenkie de Jong, I’m not aware of this honestly,” wrote Romano.
He continued:
“Frenkie has said many times in public that he’s very happy at Barca, and Laporta even said just a couple of days ago that Frenkie is a crucial part of the club’s project. So, at the moment, the situation between the parties is understood to be very calm.”
De Jong has been plagued by injuries this season, registering two goals in 27 appearances across competitions for Barcelona.
