Manchester City has made initial contact with Barcelona regarding a potential transfer for winger Raphinha, reported by goal.com. The Premier League champions have expressed a strong interest in the Brazilian winger, viewing him as a potential replacement for Riyad Mahrez, who has been linked with a move to Al-Ahli.

According to Foot Mercato, City sees Raphinha as a suitable candidate to fill Mahrez's shoes if the Algerian forward departs the club. It is believed that Al-Ahli is prepared to make a bid of €20 million for Mahrez, which has prompted City to explore options to reinforce their attacking options.

Raphinha joined Barcelona just last summer and has since made 50 appearances for the club, contributing 10 goals and 12 assists. Despite having a contract until 2027, Barcelona is reportedly open to considering offers for the Brazilian winger, although no specific transfer fee has been mentioned.

City has already witnessed some changes in their squad this summer, with Ilkay Gundogan leaving for Barcelona and Kyle Walker reportedly agreeing terms with Bayern Munich. Before making any significant moves for Raphinha, City may need to offload Mahrez in order to accelerate their pursuit of a replacement.

In the meantime, Raphinha remains part of Barcelona's squad for their pre-season tour of the United States, and he could feature in their upcoming friendly against Juventus on July 22. The situation surrounding Raphinha's potential transfer to Manchester City is expected to develop further in the coming weeks as negotiations progress between the two clubs.