Rafinha is somewhat a forgotten man at Barcelona. In a team littered with superstars and La Masia graduates, he has fallen out of favour with Ernesto Valverde.
With Barcelona looking to balance their books after the acquistion of Antoine Griezmann, and the possible transfer of Neymar, Rafinha could be available for a snip at £13 million and according to Mundo Deportivo, West Ham are the club to have shown the most interest.
Read West Ham verdict
In this market of inflated transfer prices, this is nothing to be sniffed at.
Rafinha is not only great with the ball, he is industrious. Against Roma last season, he scored a fantastic goal after playing a one-two with Suarez. He is willing to get beyond when required and could be a good option to have when breaking on the counter.
His midfield style changes between being box-to-box player and one that can break up the play in the centre of the park. This shows versatility, something that Pellegrini will want to have when West Ham play against mixed competition.
I wouldn’t overlook his experience either. He is playing with world-beaters in elite competitions. Perhaps not regularly but Valverde’s decision to retain him shows that he is capable of playing at an elite level.
West Ham should seize the opportunity to have a player of this calibre at the club. He is a clear improvement on what we already have and will provide balance in an attack heavy team.
Looking at his price tag, West Ham can afford to sign him. Having sold Obiang for £7 million, Byram for £750,000 while still having a rumoured £5 million remaining, Rafinha is a high quality, affordable option that would undoubtedly improve our midfield.
I wonder, however, whether he is the right transfer to make. Our centre-backs look light ahead of the season. Winston Reid is formidable but after a long absence from the first-team, there are no guarantees whether he’ll be able to fill the void, should Angelo Ogbonna, Issa Diop or Fabian Balbuena get injured.
I would hope West Ham are sensible here but the inevitability of missing out on a striker, midfielder or defender is looming large.
Rafinha is a player of quality that would justify using the remainder of the budget. Links with Gary Cahill and potentially a striker on loan are both plausible, given the huge amount of wages saved on Andy Carroll and co.
For me, it is a no-brainer. But only Pellegrini knows what he wants ahead of the season and we shouldn’t get our hopes up just yet.
