Barcelona were interested in signing 22-year-old Real Betis winger back in 2022 – report
Barcelona will fly to Seville tomorrow as they get set to take on Real Betis at the Benito Villamarin to kickstart the second half of their 2023/24 La Liga campaign.
Heading into the game, Barça will have some advantage, considering that their opponents are set to be without as many as 12 players for the match due to injuries and international commitments.
The game will see Barça come face to face with some of their former players like Hector Bellerin and Sergi Altimira, while the likes of Chadi Riad, Ez Abde, and Marc Bartra miss out.
Barcelona will also be met with another familiar face in the form of winger Luiz Henrique, who was on the club’s radar in the past.
Barcelona were interested in Luiz Henrique
Indeed, as per Joaquim Piera of SPORT, Barcelona were interested in signing Luiz Henrique back in the summer transfer window of 2022.
The 22-year-old Brazilian winger was playing for Fluminense in his homeland at the time and had caught the attention of the Blaugrana due to his speed, strength, and technical ability.
As per the report, Barça had very good reports on the young forward, who had already racked up over 100 appearances for Fluminense by then.
However, in the end, with the economic levers being activated, the Catalan giants ended up opting for a more experienced and proven player in Europe in the form of Raphinha, who arrived from Leeds United in a deal worth €58 million.
Henrique got his move to Europe though as Real Betis bagged him in the same summer for just €8 million. But things have not clicked for the 22-year-old in Europe as he has failed to settle and carve out a place for himself in Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
As such, Henrique is understood to be back on his way to Brazil in the current window, with Flamengo in talks to sign him. And, as fate would have it, his final match for Betis could end up being against his former suitors Barcelona.
