FC Barcelona And Raphinha Will Consider Al-Hilal Transfer: Reports

FC Barcelona and their winger Raphinha are prepared to listen to what Al-Hilal have to offer in a potential transfer deal according to Mundo Deportivo.

MD collaborator Achraf Ben Ayad previously reported that Barca received an offer from an unnamed club in Saudi Arabia trying to sign the Brazilian whom they agreed to pay Leeds United €55 million ($62 million) for 12 months ago.

On Sunday, the Catalan daily newspaper does not speak of any concrete proposal having been made but names the interested Saudi club as Al-Hilal.

Barca and Al-Hilal have already been rivals in the transfer market this summer.

They both chased Lionel Messi, with the Blaugrana’s greatest ever player deciding not to wait for his boyhood club to get their financial house in order, turning down a reported €500 million ($562 million) a year offer from Al-Hilal, and ultimately opting to join Inter Miami who will unveil him this weekend.

A month and a half on, the La Liga and Saudi Pro League giants could become business partners if Al-Hilal take a step forward and solidify their apparent interest in Raphinha.

Barca are waiting for the Saudis to make a move according to MD, and nobody is closing any doors which includes Raphinha himself despite the forward stating that it is his wish to continue donning his number 22 shirt in Catalonia.

In light of a firm offer, Barca will study it knowing that they still have to pay Leeds more than €40 million ($45 million) for the 26-year-old at a time when they have failed to attract offers of the same amount for the likes of Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati.

Newcastle United were previously reported as preparing an offer of double that sum for Raphinha and are owned by the same Public Investment Fund which now has control of Al-Hilal and three other Saudi Pro League heavyweights.

That amount, €80 million ($90 million), is also what it will take to land Bernardo Silva from Manchester City making Raphinha’s potential sale even more interesting for president Joan Laporta and his board.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Silva is waiting for Laporta and his friend Jorge Mendes, the Portuguese’s agent, to conjure up a plan to take the midfielder away from the Etihad with a sale of Frenkie de Jong to Manchester United which would help raise funds ruled out.

The fact that Barca already boast Ousmane Dembele on the right wing, plus Fati, Torres, Ez Abde then Vitor Roque arriving in 2024, means that head coach Xavi Hernandez might be able to make do without Raphinha.

Possibly fighting his corner, however, is his ex-agent Deco who is now the club’s sporting director.

Furthermore, though he will allegedly weigh up a potential move to Saudi Arabia, Raphinha is under no obligation to switch allegiances considering he is under contract until mid-2027.