Raphinha confirms he was going to leave Barcelona in 2024

Over the last 18 months, Raphinha has been one of the best forwards in world football, and also one of the most important Barcelona players. The 29-year-old has been in prolific form since the arrival of Hansi Flick, who has helped the Brazil international turn around his fortunes in the Spanish capital.

Raphinha, who was Barcelona’s star man during the Spanish Supercup victory over Real Madrid, had struggled during his first couple of seasons at the club, and in comments to the BBC (via Diario AS), he revealed that this plan had been to leave prior to Flick’s arrival as manager in the summer of 2024.

“If Hansi Flick hadn’t come, I would have left Barça. He changed everything. He told me that it was going to be important. That’s what a player needs: confidence. I had a lot of doubts about myself. I have a bad habit of criticising myself harshly, so that pressure made me think about leaving the club.”

Raphinha has attracted plenty of transfer interest

Had he left Barcelona, Raphinha would have had his fair share of options for his next club. He has continually been linked with a return to the Premier League, where he played for Leeds United, while a Saudi Arabia move has also been touted. For now, none of these are likely to come to fruition anytime soon, given his desire to continue at the Spotify Camp Nou.

Flick has shown a lot of faith in Raphinha, and the pair clearly have a close relationship. It is no surprise that this confidence has been shown in him has been reflected in his fantastic performances for Barcelona since the start of last season. The Catalans have not looked at their best when he has been out of the team, which underlines how important it was that he stayed.