da aposte e ganhe： The former Leeds forward has finally found his feet in Catalunya, meaning his market value is high for a club looking to raise funds

da prosport bet： It was the kind of chance Raphinha would have missed a year ago. Pedri made it, playing a delightful dink over the Paris Saint-Germain backline, and the Brazilian gleefully converted it, watching the ball fall over his left shoulder before slicing a volley into the bottom corner. That strike – one that seemed to unlikely from this player just months ago – kickstarted Barcelona's comeback victory over PSG, and helped give the Spanish side the advantage in their Champions League quarter-final tie.

More broadly, last Wednesday at Parc des Princes was the realisation of a talent that had always been there, just waiting to be unlocked. Raphinha signed for Barca back in July 2022 at a cost of €59 million (£50m/$59m), but has spent the past 18 months battling to show his best.

Now, though, he has finally found a glimmer of form having carved out space in Xavi's line up, and is showing the kind of attacking quality Barca insisted they were buying. Alas, it might not last.

Raphinha is now faced with becoming the ultimate bargaining chip; a player who has just found his best, but whose performances have only dragged his price up ahead of what could now be a lucrative summer sale for his financially-crippled club.

GettyWho Barca signed

Club president Joan Laporta showed little hesitation in heaping praise on Raphinha when the Brazilian signed in 2022, telling Spanish media: "All of us who have lived through golden times at the club, there were always Brazilians. He takes the baton of illusion and magic. From the club, we think that the beautiful game is coming back. It's Xavi who has loved him, he has insisted a lot, and the club has done everything they could."

This was a mutual sort of attraction. Raphinha had offers from elsewhere – notably Arsenal and Chelsea – but spurned both to come to Camp Nou. And although Laporta's claims may have been lofty, there was enough about Raphinha's two seasons at Leeds United to breed excitement among the Blaugrana faithful.

The winger was a key part of Marcelo Bielsa's expansive side that earned admiration from the rest of English football in the 2020-21 campaign, as they finished in the top-half of the Premier League as a newly-promoted club. He was even better the following year, his attacking impetus and creativity proving crucial as Jesse Marsch's Leeds narrowly avoided relegation after a mid-season slump led to Bielsa being sacked. Leeds didn't want to lose their best player, but Raphinha wanted to leave, and Barca were willing to pay.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesStep up in quality

In his introductory press conference, Raphinha, too, was adamant that he could be a success in Catalunya: "For me, it is an enormous pride to be here, I want to thank everyone. I have many idols who have passed through here and have made history. If I manage to do half as much as them, I will already do a lot. It is a child's dream that I'm doing it, my family too. I'm going to do my best for Barca."

But there was something ominous about the move. Such were the Blaugrana's failing finances that Raphinha was handed a shirt without a name or number due to registration concerns. Meanwhile, chatter ran rampant that he was supposed to be a replacement for the already struggling Ousmane Dembele. Xavi insisted that he wanted to keep both players – hoping to breed competition for starting spots on a team that was admittedly short on wingers.

Either way, Raphinha would be making a step up in quality. Leeds may have been an exciting, attacking side, but this was a Barca team expected to compete for La Liga – and retooled via the kind of financial trickery undertaken by a club in win-now mode.

GettyUnderwhelming early impression

The growing pains, then, were inevitable. Raphinha didn't have a poor first season at Barca, but he never really settled, either. He wasn't helped by Dembele, who finally found form in Catalan colours towards the end of 2022 after nearly three years of transfer rumours, nearly-exits, and frustrating showings.

Xavi's Barca were humming, and Dembele's resurgence meant that Raphinha seldom had opportunities to impress at his preferred right-wing position. He managed a tidy six goal contributions before the World Cup, but floated in and out of the line up, and appeared uncomfortable playing out of position on the left.

He was handed a chance to impress when Dembele picked up a muscle injury in the second half of the campaign, but was inconsistent over that period. Robert Lewandowski's goals rather dried up when Raphinha came into the fold, and Barca certainly lacked the zip on the wing that the Brazilian was meant to provide. There was little shame in Raphinha finishing a league campaign with seven goals and seven assists, but given how much Barca had both paid and fought to sign him, many felt underwhelmed.

Dembele's departure to join PSG in the summer of 2023, however, should have provided Raphinha with the chance he needed to play consistent minutes and finally show his true potential. Instead, he was sent off in Barca's opening game of the season against Getafe, and then picked up a muscle injury that allowed teenage wonderkid Lamine Yamal to step into his shoes and show exactly why he was regarded so highly within La Masia.

GettyImproved performances

Things, though, have recently turned around for Raphinha. It started with Xavi, who steadily worked the Brazilian back into the fold at the start of 2024 to allow Yamal's young legs to have a rest. Since mid-February, the Brazilian has been a key contributor, starting seven straight games, and has been directly involved in eight goals over that time.

His brace against PSG may have been the headline performance, but Raphinha has impressed the last two months. He was vital as a languid Barca found their swagger against Getafe, scoring and assisting in his first start in over a month, while he was also crucial to the Blaugrana's last-16 win over Napoli in the Champions League, providing two assists as they deposited the reigning Serie A champions at the Olympic Stadium.

Further highlights have since followed, including an assist in a comfortable win over Atletico Madrid, and the decisive goal as the Blaugrana beat Las Palmas. The real Raphinha has finally arrived.