Analysis: How will Raphinha’s role at Barcelona be impacted after new €80m signing? | OneFootball

At first glance, it is easy to mistake Anthony Gordon’s arrival as a warning light for Raphinha.

Barcelona have made one of their biggest investments in recent times to sign the left-sided forward, a player who attacks space, presses with intensity, carries the ball directly and makes well-timed runs behind the opposition defence.

In other words, they have potentially signed another Raphinha. The Brazilian has played some of the best football of his career under Hansi Flick, operating in the same corridor as Gordon.

The Englishman now arrives from Newcastle for a fee of around €80 million, signing a contract until 2031 and coming off a 17-goal season for the Magpies.

This is enough to set the cat among the pigeons, but this is not the story of one player replacing another.

Gordon’s arrival is not a threat, but a tactical expansion

Inside Flick’s Barcelona, the idea is not to reduce Raphinha’s importance but to have the freedom to use him better.

Barcelona have spent big on Anthony Gordon (Photo courtesy: FC Barcelona official website)

Gordon gives Barcelona another forward who can fit into the starting line-up without a drop-off in quality.

This is valuable in a 50-plus-game season in which Flick will need different solutions for different opponents, especially in the Champions League.

Raphinha, Gordon, Ferran Torres and even Marcus Rashford, should he stay, all share one important common trait: they are not fixed to one role or one position.

They can start wide, move inside, press high and interchange between positions during games. For Flick, that flexibility is no longer a luxury. It is the next logical step in his evolution at Barça.

The German coach wants his attacking players to be his first line of defence. In Europe especially, pressing is not just a defensive action; it is a way of setting the temperature of a match.

And in that sense, both Raphinha and Gordon can co-exist because there are not many attackers in the world who understand football without the ball better than them.

The two simply do not stop running.

Raphinha’s versatility is Flick’s key to unlocking the system

Raphinha and Gordon can co-exist and take Barça to a new level. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

The most interesting thing from a Barcelona perspective next season is what happens when both are on the pitch.

Raphinha could continue on the left, where he feels comfortable cutting inside and attacking the final third.

In that case, Gordon could be used more centrally, almost as a mobile striker, in a role he thrived in under Eddie Howe.

Then, there is the other possibility. Raphinha as an attacking midfielder behind the striker is not something Flick has not tried before.

From there, the Brazilian can press the opposition pivot, link up with Lamine Yamal, arrive between the lines and crash into the box. To put it simply, he can wreak havoc.

Then, there is also the right-wing option. When Lamine needs rest or is out through injury, the Brazilian can easily shift over to the right and allow Gordon to hold the left flank without disturbing the team’s intensity.

That is the real point of the signing. Gordon does not have to close a door on Raphinha. He may open several for Flick.

The two are not a problem. For Flick, the two may be the plan.