Prolific Barcelona winger reaches key milestone at club
- Raphinha reminds Barcelona fans of his two-year anniversary at the club.
- His future may be up in the air amid the emergence of a new wave of Spanish talent.
By Rohan Borges
July 15th, 2024 marks two years since Barcelona poached sharpshooter Raphina from England’s Leeds United on a deal worth nearly €65 million.
Raphinha uploaded a heartwarming Instagram story in response to the team's official Instagram post celebrating the occasion.
📲 | Raphinha on IG reacting to Barcelona's post about him completing 2 years at the club:
— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) July 15, 2024
"Let's go for the third"#fcblive pic.twitter.com/QsdZwuIzKv
A critical piece of the attacking puzzle, the winger has registered 20 goals and 25 assists in 87 appearances with the club. He isn’t devoid of dips in form now and then, though Raphinha has been largely consistent during his tenure in Catalonia.
The Brazilian has been able to preserve his body and he remains one of Barca’s most reliable players. Health was one of the primary contributors in the club’s failure to meet expectations last season, so it helped that they could count on his presence in the lineup.
Barcelona supporters have had mixed feelings towards Raphinha’s first two seasons with the club. However, it’s noteworthy that he finished this past La Liga campaign with a higher goal contribution rate per 90 minutes than Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr.
Lamine Yamal’s emergence on the right wing threatened Raphinha’s role on the right wing, and the wonderkid’s rapid ascent saw him get frozen out of the position by the end of the season. It’s unclear what role Raphinha will occupy during the 2024/25 campaign, though it’s clear that the club still views him as an important player.
Raphinha is only 27 years old, and likely entering the early stages of his prime. While his name hasn’t been brought up in any substantial transfer rumors just yet, talks of a potential Nico Williams signing are heating up. His addition would almost certainly see the Brazilian request a transfer, as it’s tough to envision him taking kindly to an exclusive role on the bench. Besides, the Barcelona board still have their hands tied financially, and Raphinha’s sale would at least partially loosen that knot.
For now, Raphinha will prepare to re-join the squad for their pre-season tour which kicks off on July 30th, as FC Barcelona will play defending Premier League champions Manchester City at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.