Following an outstanding season, Barcelona winger Raphinha extended his contract until 2028 on Thursday.
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Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup, La Liga, and the Copa del Rey thanks in large part to the Brazilian, whose previous contract was due to expire in 2027.
According to a statement released by the Catalan giants, “Barcelona and Raphinha have reached an agreement for the renewal of his contract,” maintaining his affiliation with the club until June 30, 2028.
In 56 matches across all competitions, Raphinha has scored 34 goals and provided 25 assists, making him a strong candidate to win the Ballon d’Or.
Although the 28-year-old is tied for the league lead in goals scored with thirteen, Barcelona lost a nail-biting semi-final match against Inter Milan and were eliminated from the competition.
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He scored three goals in Barça’s 3-0 group stage victory over Bayern Munich and two in their recent 2-0 Clasico victory over Real Madrid, putting the Catalan club on the brink of La Liga glory.
On Wednesday, coach Hansi Flick also signed a contract extension, this time until 2027, and now Raphinha has followed suit. Another player said to be signing a new deal soon is 17-year-old winger Lamine Yamal.
Jorge Mendes, Yamal’s agent, informed reporters that “he will renew (his deal) soon” following Thursday’s lunch with Yamal close to Barcelona.
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On either side of Barcelona’s seasoned striker Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Yamal have been absolutely lethal.
In their 37 La Liga matches this season, the Catalans have scored 99 goals. In Sunday’s season-ending match against Athletic Bilbao, they will be looking to go above 100.
After joining Barcelona from Leeds United for approximately £55 million ($74 million) in 2022, Raphinha contributed to the club’s La Liga championship in his debut season. After the 2023–24 season, he was on the verge of leaving the team, but Flick talked him into staying.