Raphinha has reportedly ended speculation about his Barcelona future as the winger is set to sign a new deal, following links with Manchester United.
The Brazilian swapped Leeds United for Barcelona in the summer of 2022 for a fee worth up to £55 million (€65.2m, $73.6m) but the move proved to be a difficult one early on.
The former Rennes man notched 10 goals apiece in his first two seasons with the Blaugrana; which was far from setting the world alight.
But this season, the 28-year-old has gone into the stratosphere with his displays. A total of 34 goals and 25 assists in 56 games has helped Barcelona win a Copa del Rey and La Liga double.
Very much out of the blue, however, Raphinha was linked with a move to United amid reports he would ‘threaten to leave’ the Catalan outfit if they signed Athletic Club winger and long-term target Nico Williams.
However, Fabrizio Romano claims the ex-Leeds ace will extend his contract by a further year to 2028, which will keep him at the club until he is 31.
He wrote on X: “Barcelona have reached an agreement with Raphinha over new deal, all done! The Brazilian will sign until June 2028, one more important renewal for Barça with (sporting director) Deco’s huge work in recent months.”
Raphinha was also linked with lucrative moves to the Saudi Pro League but that seems dead and buried now.
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Times have changed for Raphinha
While Raphinha is flying high at Barca and is one of the top contenders to win this year’s Ballon d’Or, things were quite different not all that long ago.
Speculation about his future and criticism of his performances nearly led to him quitting Barcelona altogether.
In March, he told Globo: “I was thinking about leaving Barça after the Copa América (2024). I wasn’t feeling mentally comfortable until (manager Hansi) Flick called me. Every day, there were rumours about me signing for one team or another.
“Things didn’t go as they should have; I had a worse season than expected, and I saw people asking me to leave while reports of my departure surfaced daily. I seriously considered leaving.”
Fast forward to the present, and it seems Raphinha will extend his stay for another few years at the Spanish giants.
Barcelona transfer latest: Alvarez interest laughed off, Martinez links escalate
Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has set the record straight on the possibility of Julian Alvarez leaving the club amid links with Barcelona.
Cerezo ruled out an exit for their £81.5 million (€96.8m, £109m) signing and even went as far as saying the 25-year-old will “die at Atletico Madrid”.
Elsewhere, Barca and United have reportedly submitted offers for Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who appeared to wave a teary goodbye at Villa Park last weekend.
The Argentine has also been linked with the Saudi Pro League as Villa try and secure a big transfer departure before June 30 to stay in line with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules.
Finally, Manchester United outcast Marcus Rashford is said to be willing to take a hefty pay cut to seal a dream move to Barcelona.
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