Barcelona have tied Raphinha down to a contract running until 30 June 2030. The 29-year-old captain put pen to paper at president Joan Laporta’s office at 12pm local time on Thursday, per Barça Universal, with the club confirming the agreement on its own channels.
His previous contract ran until the summer of 2028. The new one adds two more seasons.
“A true statement of intent. Our beloved captain will continue to lead the project until 2030,” Barcelona said in a statement reported by Yahoo Sports.
Level with Ronaldinho
Nineteen goals in 13 appearances this season is the form behind Thursday’s signature. Raphinha has scored 15 of them in La Liga and four in the Champions League, beIN Sports reported. His brace in Tuesday’s 3-0 Champions League win over Aston Villa took him to 94 goals for Barcelona in all competitions, drawing him level with Ronaldinho among Brazilian scorers at the club.
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In total he has 94 goals and 62 assists across 190 Barcelona appearances.
Flick’s accidental number nine
Barcelona spent part of the summer pursuing Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez. When that move did not come off, Hansi Flick turned to Raphinha as a central striker rather than a wide player. The German coach now has, in the Brazilian, a captain operating as his main number nine.
Sporting director Deco had reached an agreement in principle with him in September. The signing day itself came almost two months later.
Al-Hilal’s €100m plan
Before the extension was closed, Goal reported that Barcelona had initially offered only a one-plus-one package, while Raphinha’s camp wanted two guaranteed years. In the end, he got the two guaranteed years. The same outlet reported that Al-Hilal had been lining up a €100m bid with a four-year contract worth around €200m.
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The signed deal runs until 30 June 2030.
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