Barcelona were crowned La Liga champions after their win over Espanyol in the Catalan derby on Sunday. The Blaugranas did so with four games to spare in the competition and are the deserved winners by a fair margin.
Such a special success would not be possible without an amalgamation of factors, one of which is the pivotal role of new signings. Raphinha, on that front, played a massive role in the Catalans’ road to glory.
Despite his strong displays and convincing numbers, the Brazilian is seen as one who could leave Catalonia in June. Barcelona are in dire need of player sales and Raphinha is one with a very high market value and demand.
Newcastle United, for one, have been heavily linked with a move for the winger, with reports suggesting that Barça could consider a sale if an offer of €80 million arrives.
However, Raphinha has no intentions of leaving the club just after one year and made it clear during the team’s bus parade celebrating the La Liga title last evening.
Speaking to Barca TV (h/t Mundo Deportivo), the former Leeds United star expressed his intention to stay under Xavi’s command next season.
“I hope to be able to come back again,” he said.
Raphinha also highlighted his aspirations for the season to come and outlined the effort and commitment that went into Barcelona’s dominant title march.
“We worked hard for this, we knew what we wanted and to crown the league with this rally is spectacular. It’s better than I imagined,” the Brazilian exclaimed.
“I would ask the people to keep supporting us because next season we are going to try something more and go for as many titles as we can get.”
The 26-year-old has been an integral part of Xavi’s setup this season, especially after Ousmane Dembele was ruled out with an injury for an extended period.
Playing on the right flank, his eye for goal only improved with every passing game and his chemistry and understanding of the game took a turn for the better.
In 32 La Liga appearances for Barcelona this season, Raphinha has scored seven goals and provided as many assists. Further, he averages 1.7 key passes per game and has created 15 big chances.
