Barcelona winger Raphinha spoke to ESPN about his failed transfer to the Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. The Saudi club wanted to sign him, but the Brazilian ultimately renewed his contract with the Catalan team.
According to Raphinha, the offer from the Saudis stunned him and would have changed his life and the lives of his loved ones. However, Barcelona’s head coach Hans-Dieter Flick persuaded him to stay.
Obviously, we thought about leaving [Barcelona]. I thought it might be time to leave, but then we talked to [Flick], first on the phone and then at the beginning of the preseason, and he managed to convince me to stay. I'm glad he did.
Raphinha has played for Barcelona since 2022. In the 2025-26 season, he has appeared in seven matches across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing two assists. His renewed contract runs until June 2028. Transfermarkt estimates him at €90 million.
After eight rounds of La Liga 2025-26, Barcelona sit second with 19 points. In round nine, they will face Girona on October 18 at 17:15 GMT+3.
