FC Barcelona is reportedly facing a significant offer of $108 million (€100 million) from Al-Hilal for Raphinha, as per SPORT sources. The Brazilian winger was acquired from Leeds United for approximately $69 million (£55 million) in 2022. Despite a strong debut season with impressive goal and assist contributions, Raphinha has encountered challenges in his second year at Barcelona due to injuries and competition from Lamine Yamal.
Recently, Raphinha has shown improvement and played a crucial role in Barcelona's Champions League victory over Napoli. However, the club is considering potential sales to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations and make room for new signings. Interest in Ronald Araujo from Bayern Munich and Frenkie de Jong from top European clubs adds to the transfer speculation.
Barcelona's president, Joan Laporta, expressed optimism about retaining key players like Araujo and De Jong. Laporta emphasized the club's desire to maintain its current squad without major departures. Nevertheless, reports suggest that Raphinha could be a valuable asset for Barcelona in the upcoming transfer window, with Al-Hilal preparing a lucrative offer of $108 million.
The proposed deal includes a fixed fee of $87 million (€80 million) along with additional variables. Despite the potential financial gain, Raphinha has indicated his preference to stay at Barcelona. Sporting Director Deco believes that healthy competition with Lamine Yamal will benefit Raphinha's development, as the young winger aims to establish himself as one of the world's top players.
