Barcelona keen to offer 27-year-old star new deal following €100m interest from Saudi Arabia: Reports
Barcelona are reportedly willing to offer a new contract to star forward Raphinha amid interest from an anonymous Saudi club. The Brazilian has been one of the best performers for Hansi Flick's side this season, recording 17 goal contributions (nine goals and eight assists) in just 13 club games across competitions so far.
Raphinha first joined La Blaugrana in July 2022 from English outfit Leeds for a reported transfer fee of €58 million (via Transfermarkt). Although he had a slow start to life at the Catalan capital, the Brazilian has slowly grown in stature and is currently one of the best wingers in La Liga.
In his first season at Barcelona (2022-23), Raphinha recorded 22 goal contributions (10 goals and 12 assists) in 50 club games across competitions. In just 13 games this season, he finds himself five goal contributions away from beating his first season's statistic.
According to a report by Sport (via Football Espana), Raphinha is reportedly next in line to get a contract renewal after Barcelona prepare new deals for Pedri, Gavi, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, and Frenkie de Jong. Although he has three more years on his contract, which expires in June 2027, he is reportedly willing to commit for a longer period to the Catalan giants.
The renewal is especially important for Joan Laporta's club because of the growing interest from Saudi clubs in Raphinha. According to a recent report by Mundo Deportivo (via beIN Sports), a club is willing to pay €100 million for the winger. However, the Brazilian is keen on continuing at Barcelona and has no intentions of leaving.
It will be interesting to see how the negotiations for his new contract pan out. Raphinha is yet to hire an agent since Deco left him to become Barcelona's sporting director.
"He is at a very high level" - Barcelona teammate Inigo Martinez lavishes praise on Raphinha
Barcelona's Inigo Martinez has recently raved about the growing importance of Raphinha in the Catalan side ahead of the season's first El Clasico. Hansi Flick's side will take on Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on October 26 in a top-of-the-table clash in La Liga.
Raphinha has been in fine form this season and scored a spectacular hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League clash against Bayern Munich on October 23. The Brazilian's performance helped his side record their first win against the Bavarians in nine years. He also became only the fourth player in history to bag a hat-trick against Bayern Munich in the Champions League after Roy Makaay, Sergio Aguero, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In an interview with Spanish outlet Marca, Inigo Martinez talked about the winger, asserting that his contributions extend beyond just scoring goals. He said (via Barca Universal):
“He is at a very high level, he is showing the true level he has and for us, he is very important. Both scoring goals and defending, he is very important for us."
Till now, Raphinha has faced Real Madrid seven times across competitions and scored three goals.