Barcelona midfielder Rafinha fears for his place at next summer’s World Cup finals in Russia and the 24-year-old may be ready to leave the Camp Nou in order to try to ensure he’s in the Brazilian squad that will travel to the tournament.
 

Having spent most of his career at the club, new Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde looks unlikely to give the player a regular starting place in the squad after battling back from a knee injury sustained in April. The summer signings of Ousmane Dembele and Paulinho has ensured Rafinha will spend a good deal of the first half of the campaign on the substitute’s bench and a January exit looks inevitable.
 

Catalan sports daily Mundo Deportivo claims that Barca chiefs were anxious to off-load him this summer but the injury put off many suitors; now it seems as though the new year will be a different story with Liverpool strongly linked with a move along with Serie A side AC Milan.
 

As with striker Gerard Deulofeu, it’s reported that the Blaugrana will be willing to let the player leave but are likely to insert a buy-back clause in any deal. 
 

Both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are also reportedly monitoring the situation which looks set to develop in the winter transfer window.