WHAT HAPPENED? The Brazil international left Leeds United for Camp Nou in the summer of 2022, with a £50 million ($64m) deal taking him to Catalunya. A retracing of steps to the Premier League has been speculated on after just one La Liga title-winning season in Spain, with Barca needing to generate funds from sales, but the 26-year-old is adamant that he will be honouring the five-year contract he signed when linking up with the Blaugrana.
WHAT THEY SAID: Raphinha has told Club Del Deportista when asked about his future: “I will continue at Barca next season and the one that comes, and the one that comes, I have many years of contract and I hope to fulfil those years and many more.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Raphinha admits to enduring a “difficult” debut campaign at Barca, but he is feeling more settled now and expects to take his game to greater heights in 2023-24. The tricky winger added: “Barcelona is a city that I love, Brazilians are very happy here. My first six months were difficult. It was a start to the season in which I scored few goals, few assists and did not have a direct role in the team. But then I began to adapt better, my team-mates helped me a lot.”
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WHAT NEXT? Raphinha took in 50 appearances for Barcelona last season across all competitions, registering 10 goals and 12 assists.