Barcelona remain interested in 17-year-old midfield prospect; Arsenal and Man United also keen | OneFootball

Rafael Belinho has been the subject of transfer speculation for several months regarding a potential move to one of Europe’s leading clubs, including FC Barcelona.

The NK Kustosija attacking midfielder, who is of Brazilian origin and also holds Croatian nationality, has attracted the attention of multiple teams across the continent despite being only 17 years old.

Barcelona remain keen

Now, according to reports in England, as relayed by Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are still among the clubs keeping Belinho on their list of potential targets.

Alongside Barcelona, clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester United, and Newcastle United have also been identified as monitoring the promising youngster.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rafael Belo (@r_belinho10)

Bayern Munich have also recently been mentioned among the clubs following Belinho’s progress.

Who is Rafael Belinho?

Rafael Gomes Cirino, known as Belinho, was born in Rio de Janeiro in 2009. The player’s development pathway began at Vasco da Gama before he started his European journey in Croatia with NK Vinodol and later Dinamo Zagreb.

Belinho joined Kustosija in February from Dinamo Zagreb and remains under contract until 2029.

Although he mainly plays as an attacking midfielder, he also operates on the right flank, cutting inside with his left foot.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rafael Belo (@r_belinho10)

Belinho is not particularly tall, but compensates for it with agility and quick, sharp turns that allow him to shield the ball and escape pressure even in crowded areas.

Belinho’s representative is Croatian agent Andy Bara, who already has a history of successful dealings with Barcelona, including the cases of Dani Olmo and Joan Garcia.

In fact, Barça director Deco had already met with the youngster in September last year.

Bara recently stated that Belinho still requires additional time before making the step up to a higher professional level. He also made clear that, under any circumstances, the player would not leave for a fee lower than €10 million.