FC Barcelona is waiting for one last talk with Raphinha, and for Al-Hilal to make a bid for the Brazilian according to SPORT and transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano, who both cited anonymous sources.
The Brazilian has been linked to the Saudi Pro League giants for some time now. Before the World Cup, we saw reports that he’d wait until after the World Cup with Brazil to listen to their offer.
Through a disappointing 2-1 loss to Norway and Erling Haaland double, the Selecao’s 2026 campaign in North America embarrassingly ended at the last 16 stage in New York last Sunday.
Raphinha is taking some time to disconnect in his hometown Porto Alegre, before reporting for preseason training under Hansi Flick.
When he returns to Catalonia, though, his future will become one of the biggest topics covered by the local press.
Just 12 months ago, it would be unthinkable to contemplate possibly selling Raphinha. The forward had just come off a Ballon d’Or contending season as the Champions League’s joint top scorer and highest goal contributions provider, as Barça reached the semifinals of the European competition yet landed a domestic treble.
Fast forward to mid-2026, however, and Raphinha is clearly showing signs of wear and tear at 29. He missed more than 20 games as a consequence last term, with two of those the UCL quarterfinal ties that resulted in a painful exit to domestic rivals Atletico Madrid.
FC Barcelona appears to be preparing for life after Raphinha
This summer, we’ve seen Barça swiftly wrap up deals for Anthony Gordon while closing in on Karim Adeyemi over the past few days.
England international Gordon was bought for $80 million from Newcastle United, while Adeyemi will reportedly cost a bargain $25 million plus a further $8 million in add-ons.
Both of these players operate primarily on the left wing, which hints that FC Barcelona is already preparing for life after Raphinha. There might be no better time to cash in on the number 11, rather than wait another 12 months by which he’d be nearing free agency on a deal that expires on June 30, 2028.