​Raphinha’s future has once again become a central topic during the summer transfer window, yet Barcelona remain steady amid growing interest from Saudi Arabia. The Brazilian winger continues to attract attention from Al Hilal, a club that has made clear its ambition to recruit a top-tier attacker for the Saudi Pro League. In fact, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Al Hilal are pressing forward with their pursuit and are determined to explore every possible avenue to seal the deal with Barcelona’s winger.
Despite this persistence, the player’s stance has not changed. Raphinha’s priority remains to continue his development and journey at Barcelona, and he has no intention of seeking a departure at this time. Al Hilal, however, are not letting go easily and remain committed to pursuing the winger. Their interest in Raphinha is part of a broader approach to reinforce their attacking options, with the club also weighing other high-profile targets such as Mohamed Salah, though their focus appears especially strong on Raphinha.
Explaining the current state of play, Romano stated that “Raphinha at the moment is still fully focused on Barcelona. So that’s the situation. Then, if later on in the summer this situation changes and at any moment Raphinha could decide to open doors to Saudi, but as of today, Raphinha is focused on Barcelona.” This clarity comes after a World Cup campaign that ended earlier than hoped for the Brazilian, who chose not to engage publicly with the ongoing speculation in the wake of his injury. Instead, his attention has been on recovery and preparation for the new season with Barcelona.
At present, Barcelona have not received any formal request from Raphinha or his representatives expressing a desire to move on, and there is no appetite within the club’s sporting department to sanction his exit. Hansi Flick regards the Brazilian as a leader within his attacking unit, valuing not only his creativity and work rate but also the influence he has within the dressing room. Unless there is a dramatic shift in the player’s position later in the transfer window, Barcelona are expected to resist approaches and retain one of their most reliable forwards at Spotify Camp Nou.
For Barcelona, the current landscape remains favorable: Raphinha continues to be a cornerstone of their attacking plans, contributing significantly to their tactical flexibility and squad depth. The club’s leadership appears prepared to stand firm in negotiations, aiming to protect their strategic assets while remaining open to contingencies should a change in the market or in the player’s own thinking occur before the window closes. As things stand, Barcelona’s stance is clear—keep Raphinha, who is widely regarded as one of the most dynamic and influential forwards in the squad, and continue to build around his skill set as they pursue domestic and European ambitions for the upcoming season.