The influx of new talent had naturally sparked rumours regarding Raphinha’s position in the squad, particularly withAl-Hilal lurking. The Saudi Pro League outfit is reportedly prepared to launch a transfer offer worth more than €90 million to tempt the Brazilian away from Catalonia. However, Laporta has moved quickly to shut down talk of a sale, despite the club's well-documented financial struggles.
“Raphinha is going to stay. We have absolutely no interest in him leaving Barca. He is a mainstay. With Gordon and Adeyemi, I see that we are reinforcing the attack, but that doesn’t mean we are going to part ways with Raphinha, who is key for us,” Laporta clarified.