Raphinha had an exceptional campaign for Barcelona last season, as he finished with 34 goals and 26 assists in his 57 outings. His sensational performances earned him a Ballon d'Or nomination. The 28-year-old has carried that form into the new season, and he remains an integral part of Hansi Flick's team. However, he has been linked with a move away yet again.
Given his exploits at Barcelona and past experience in the Premier League, Raphinha has become the main target of English champions Liverpool for 2026, reports . Indeed, the Reds have Raphinha on their radar and would be willing to offer close to €100 million to sign him in the next summer transfer window. Liverpool want the Barcelona winger as a potential replacement for Mohamed Salah, who could leave after a dip in form and due to significant offers from Saudi Arabia.
Barcelona won't be able to call upon Raphinha for Sunday's trip to Celta Vigo in La Liga as he's still not ready to return. According to Diario AS, the Brazilian is "completely ruled out" even though his recovery is going well. Barca will not rush him back, after seeing him suffer a setback before El Clasico that left Hansi Flick furious, and will now wait until after the international break.
Barcelona star Raphinha was a surprise omission in the FIFPro World XI which was announced this week and featured team-mates Pedri and Lamine Yamal. The Brazilian won three titles last season with Barcelona, scored 34 goals in 57 games and finished fifth in the Ballon d'Or but it seems that wasn't good enough to make it into the FIFPro team which is voted for by more than 20,000 professional male footballers.
Barcelona star Raphinha continues to be sidelined due to injury after suffering a setback in his recovery just before El Clasico. The hope was that Raphinha would return in time for the crunch game against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu but he suffered a relapse in training that has kept him sidelined. According to a new report from Cadena SER, Hansi Flick was left "furious" when he found out about Raphinha's problem and wanted to know exactly what had happened.
This week will be a critical one for Raphinha, as he looks to return to training after an extended period on the sidelines. The forward has had a difficult season so far, with his progress being marred by an injury. But recent reports suggest he is in the final phase of his recovery and could return to training soon. Raphinha's potential return, though, should not overshadow the fact that his fitness wasn't handled well by the Barcelona team.
Raphinha, who finished fifth in the Ballon d'Or in September, responded to the snub by taking to Instagram on Tuesday, where he shared more than 15 posts recognising some of his accomplishments from last season. In addition to the trophies he won, he pointed out that he assisted 26 goals on top of the 34 he scored, was the joint highest scorer in the Champions League with 13 goals and was named as the Player of the Season by LaLiga.
