27-year-old Raphinha has been the subject of interest from Saudi Arabia for some time now. The Brazilian, however, is clear: he wants to stay.
Having joined from Leeds United two summers ago, Raphinha hasn’t had the easiest time at Barcelona. With the structural changes and transfers in and out of the club, Raphinha is yet to fully cement his place in the starting lineup for the club.
He has, however, been a regular feature, since his arrival, scored 20 goals and set up another 25, in 87 appearances for the club.
And perhaps his irregularity in the lineup has fueled the fire; given Barcelona’s financial struggles, options are always looked at for potential outgoings that can help the club bolster the squad further, as well as help raise the economic bottom line.
Raphinha, this summer especially, has been a heavily discussed name in this regard, partially due to the club’s interest in Nico Williams and Dani Olmo.
Premier League club Arsenal according to reports are said to have been monitoring his situation, but especially one league has been seriously interested: the Saudi Pro League which currently houses names like N’Golo Kanté, Marcelo Brozovic, and perhaps most notably, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
One of the latest offer was north of 60 million euros for the Brazilian, but his vision is clear: he wants to stay at Barcelona. Despite the hardships he’s faced since his arrival, he is determined to prove his worth, and, much like Ferran Torres did last season, win over the fans and the club’s trust through his performances on the pitch.
Most recently, Saudi clubs have enquired about Raphinha’s availability once again, but his answer remained the same. He is determined to stay, and does not want to move to a different club to ply his trade. This according to multiple reports.
Saudi club Al-Nassr, according to Spanish news outlet SPORT, offered him a mega deal: 100 million euros to Barcelona for his transfer, a 3-year deal with a yearly salary of 20 million euros. The Brazilian winger also turned this down.
Raphinha’s current contract with Barcelona runs out in 2027, having signed a 5-year deal when he first joined the Catalan outfit.
