Lionel Messi aware €30m-rated Barcelona ace could be set for imminent exit

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Barcelona ace Rafinha has been relentlessly linked with an exit ahead of Friday’s transfer deadline, and it’s suggested Lionel Messi is aware the club want the matter resolved imminently.

The 25-year-old impressed during his loan spell with Inter in the second half of last season, making 17 Serie A appearances and helping them to qualify for the Champions League.

SEE MORE: Signing ‘in place’: Barcelona squad ‘excited’ as club convinced Manchester United star is on his way in future transfer

In turn, it should arguably have been enough to persuade Barcelona that he has a role to play this season under Ernesto Valverde, especially after he continued to impress in pre-season, with the Catalan giants looking to compete on multiple fronts and therefore in need of squad depth.

However, as noted by Marca, he has been linked with a late move to either Real Betis or Benfica with the transfer deadline for Spanish clubs fast approaching on Friday night, and so it appears as though he is still considered expendable.

Now, it’s claimed by Don Balon that Messi knows that the club want the matter resolved in the next 24 hours or so prior to the transfer window closing and so are busy on the market still, and so it remains to be seen if a deal can be pushed through to secure a beneficial result for all parties.

The midfield has been a source of plenty attention this summer for Barcelona, with Andres Iniesta and Paulinho leaving the Nou Camp.

In their places have arrived Arthur and Arturo Vidal, and so it would appear as though along with the ongoing presence of the likes of Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic, Rafinha’s position at Barcelona hasn’t changed and he remains low down the pecking order.

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