At a glance
- Three Saudi Pro League giants are reportedly willing to bid for FC Barcelona forward Raphinha.
- The Brazilian has a contract until 2028, but the Saudis tried to tempt Barca with a €90 million offer.
- Aged 29, he’s still at his peak though injuries are starting become a common occurrence.
Saudi Arabia will once more try to tempt FC Barcelona forward Raphinha into swapping La Liga for the Saudi Pro League, according to Mundo Deportivo.
The newspaper explains that the Saudis came knocking with a €90 million offer for the Brazilian last season. Additionally, there were also high-paying personal terms.
This was when Rapha was at the height of his Ballon d’Or contender, Champions League top scorer powers in 2024/2025.
And in May 2025, before he extended his contract for another year, Jorge Jesus, who is well-respected in Brazil because of his time at Flamengo, also tried to seduce the number 11 for Al-Nassr without success.
Fast forward a year, and the scenario is different for Barcelona and Raphinha
Heading into the summer of 2026 and a lot has changed. Raphinha has missed considerable parts of the season due to hamstring injuries. He’s still played a key part when fit, though. And Barca are again set to seal domestic dominance under Hansi Flick.
According to MD, three Saudi giants are willing to enter a bidding war for the 29-year-old. Though that will all be in vain.
Barca don’t want to sell one of their leading stars, who despite his injury history is still dearly missed whenever not available as seen in the Champions League quarterfinals. And especially not at a time when the left wing needs strengthening, not weakening, either.
The Blaugrana is the club of the Porto Alegre native‘s dreams and his young family are well settled in the Catalan capital.
Given his age, 29, and contract length, the Saudis might be better off trying this potential coup a couple of years from now depending on whether Raphinha has renewed – which is likely a year from now if he performs to his high standards in 2026/2027.
At the weekend, Raphinha is set to return to action by earning minutes against Osasuna ahead of El Clasico.
