Tottenham linked with January move for Barcelona's former Leeds winger Raphinha

Raphinha in action for Barcelona against Osasuna in May 2023.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Tottenham have been linked with a January move for Barcelona's former Leeds United winger Raphinha.

Spurs have had a strong start to the season and were top of the Premier League until their recent 4-1 loss at home to Chelsea, when they went down to nine men.

Ange Postecoglou's side then suffered a last-gasp defeat at Wolves in added time last weekend, but the Lilywhites are still just two points behind leaders Manchester City after 12 rounds of the competition.

Tottenham are currently without a number of players through injury, including James Maddison, Richarlison and Micky van de Ven, while Postecoglou is still thought to be keen on bringing in a striker following the departure of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in the summer.

Spurs are reportedly interested in Brentford striker Ivan Toney, but the England international is wanted by Arsenal and Chelsea too and amid uncertainty about his future, Mundo Deportivo say the north London club could turn to Raphinha.

The Brazilian is in his second season at Barcelona after leaving Leeds following their relegation last year, but the 26-year-old has started only five games this season following a red card against Getafe and a muscle injury which saw him ruled out after that.

The report claims Barcelona would be willing to sell if a satisfactory offer comes in for the Brazilian, who joined the Catalans for around £50 million in 2022, with the Blaugrana keen to seal permanent moves for on-loan Portuguese pair Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo.

Meanwhile, Spurs have also been linked with Juventus' left-sided forward Samuel Iling-Junior.

According to Football Insider, the north London club are admirers of the 20-year-old, who is under contract until 2025.

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Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.