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Raphinha is ready to do Manchester United a favour by helping Michael Carrick’s side secure their first transfer of 2027.

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The Barcelona winger has been one of the outstanding players of the season to date. Used as a centre-forward by Hansi Flick, he has scored 19 goals in 13 games for the Catalans.

Clearly, the Brazil international, who was previously wanted by Man Utd before moving to Spain, is untouchable with the Camp Nou side, but in signing a new deal in Barcelona, he could trigger an operation that will see Lisandro Martinez leave Old Trafford.

Barcelona seek to take advantage of Lisandro Martinez’s Man Utd chaos

Martinez’s future at Man Utd has grown increasingly uncertain over the course of the last month.

Public criticism of the board, coupled with poor performances on the pitch, has made the Argentine an unpopular figure at Old Trafford.

With Matthijs de Ligt returning to fitness after a long period out, Martinez’s prospects of pitch time are reducing, and selling him in January is becoming an increasingly attractive option.

His contract is up at the end of June 2027, and while United do have the option to extend it a year, which would prevent him from departing on a free transfer, the player’s behaviour suggests that cutting ties more rapidly might be a wise move.

Barcelona certainly believe there is a prospect of that happening, with Sport reporting that the Blaugrana see the ex-Ajax star as the central defensive reinforcement they need ahead of the second part of the season.

The motivation for signing another defender is clear: they have been plagued by injuries in the first half of the season, and Flick does not want his side hampered as they chase domestic and Champions League glory in 2027.

With top targets like Alessandro Bastoni out of Barcelona’s price range, they have set themselves the target of signing Martinez, who they believe can provide value for money.

How Raphinha could unlock a Barcelona move for Martinez

Raphinha is set to play an unwitting role in Barcelona’s transfer business in January by signing a new contract with the club.

Sport explains that his wages will be redistributed away from the second half of the season and would instead be paid out over the duration of the remainder of his deal, which is expected to run until 2030.

This arrangement will give Barcelona more flexibility with regard La Liga’s stringent Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions and will allow them to make a comparatively low-cost signing.

With Martinez unsettled at Man Utd, Barca believe that they can sign the 2022 World Cup winner for a comparatively low fee, while they would also pay him a comparatively low wage initially, with that to be boosted over the duration of his agreement.