Raphinha, injured again, has a daisy to pick

BarcelonaRaphael Dias Belloli, Raphinha, is injured again. Amidst the debate about his future at Barça, the Blaugrana attacker fell during the second match the Brazilian national team played in the World Cup. Same problem, same muscle. In the 40th minute of the match against Haiti (3-0), he felt a twinge in his right thigh and had to ask to be substituted. Pending more conclusive reports, if there is a muscle tear, he will hardly play again in this championship. This is terrible news for the Canarinha and also for a footballer exposed to the temptations of petrodollars.

This is not the first time that millions from Saudi Arabia have sought to tempt Raphinha. In fact, it has been a common refrain every summer since he arrived at Barça in 2022, from Leeds. The factors explaining this are clear. On the one hand, Saudi football has ample financial muscle to attract the footballer with a contract that would shower him with gold: according to the specialized Brazilian portal Globoesporte, the latest offer to the winger is around 170 million euros spread over four seasons at Al Hilal. On the other hand, although Raphinha is an important asset for Hansi Flick and one of the players with the most influence in the locker room, the Blaugrana management would not object to a millionaire proposal to transfer a player who last season spent almost three months out of action due to muscle injuries and who will turn thirty at the end of 2026. A hypothetical transfer would also grant much more margin to fill Robert Lewandowski's void with Julián Álvarez or a striker of that caliber.

Furthermore, the sporting directorate led by Anderson Luis de Souza, Deco, has covered its bases on the left wing with the signing of English international Anthony Gordon for 80 million euros, which is precisely the figure around which Barça would be happy to sell Raphinha. In the same position, due to the repeated absences of the Porto Alegre attacker, Fermín López has also proven capable of performing, and he has shone the most as the Brazilian's replacement. Marcus Rashford has also been a recurring alternative, but the club has not exercised the purchase option to acquire him permanently for 30 million. However, the Englishman is still a future option to negotiate with Manchester United if Raphinha decides to take the step of leaving.

The decision rests with Raphinha himself, who, for the moment, remains determined to continue as a blaugrana for at least one more season (his contract ends in 2028). As this newspaper has been able to learn, Saudi Arabia has activated mechanisms to try to seduce him. They are not only looking to convince him by showering him with millions, but they have also asked players who know Raphinha to explain the benefits of packing his bags. All this means that the player has a daisy to pick. Always after seeing how he recovers from his injury and Brazil's path in this World Cup.

Just over a year ago, in May 2025, he renewed his contract until 2028 after a great season under Flick in the German coach's first experience on the blaugrana bench. It was the Brazilian's best campaign since he turned professional: he scored 34 goals and provided 26 assists in 57 matches. He was the player who played the most minutes for the squad and was fifth in the Ballon d'Or rankings, which ultimately went to Ousmane Dembélé.

The ordeal with Raphinha's injuries

This season, on the other hand, his performances have declined due to injuries. The ordeal began on September 25: he injured his hamstrings in Oviedo. The absence lasted until the following month, when he was due to return for the classic match at the Bernabéu on October 26. Four days earlier, he suffered a relapse in the injury that left him out of the game. Raphinha had received an excessive workload in the training sessions prior to the duel in Madrid. His injury worsened and in a private meeting with some journalists at the Ciutat Esportiva, Flick admitted they had pushed too hard. At that moment, the coach, diplomatically, acted as a buffer for a growing distrust among several footballers towards Julio Tous, head of physical preparation at Barça and who this season had also been in charge of leading the players' readaptation.

Finally, Raphinha reappeared against Chelsea on November 25, 2025, after two months out. On January 31, however, muscular problems returned until February 16, when he played again against Girona in Montilivi. At the end of March, a new setback occurred in his right thigh during an friendly with Brazil: out for the decisive stretch of the season in the Champions League and only two brief appearances against Madrid and Betis in two matches with everything decided in La Liga. Despite the muscular ordeal, Raphinha has maintained great numbers: 21 goals and 7 assists in 33 appearances.