Barcelona toast £55m Raphinha as he dreams of ‘making history’ in the footsteps of idols Ronaldinho and Neymar… while cash-strapped Catalans agree to pay £10m more if they default on payments to Leeds !
- Brazilian striker Raphinha signed for Spanish club Barcelona on Wednesday
- He was speaking at a press conference following his unveiling by the Catalan giants
- He answered questions from the Spanish media about his decision to join the club
- The 25-year-old said he dreams of emulating legends Neymar and Ronaldinho
Barcelona have agreed to pay Leeds a further £10m if they default on payments for Raphinha’s £55m signing.
The Brazilian was unveiled by his new side on Friday as he claimed his dream is to win titles and make history at his new club by emulating Brazilian icons Ronaldinho and neymar.
Raphinha also revealed he had always dreamed of playing for Barcelona since leaving Brazil in 2016 and club president Joan Laporta admitted he was happy the player is continuing the club’s long tradition of signing Brazilians .
the previous leeds Forward was officially unveiled by the Catalan giants at Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper today after making a £55million move from Premier League club Leeds.
Winger Deco’s agent waived his agent fee to push through a deal.
Raphinha was officially unveiled as a Barcelona player at Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper
Barcelona legend Ronaldinho was idolized by Raphinha growing up in Brazil
Raphinha has completed a £55million move to Barcelona after two successful years at Leeds
At his first press conference as an official Barca player, Raphinha told reporters: “I feel privileged to be here. It’s very exciting. I can not believe it.
“I started researching Barça when they signed Ronaldinho. When I left Brazil I wanted to fulfill my dream of playing for Barça. I would already sign to be half what Ronaldinho was at Barça.
Raphinha has penned a five-year deal at the Nou Camp
“Together with Deco or Neymar, he also had influence. Neymar He’s a player I admire a lot. I dreamed of making history at Barça and becoming a champion with Barça like they did.
“I made the decision from the start. Deco and Alemany did everything to make me come. I accepted the decision and will not regret it.’
Ronaldinho is one of the most successful players in Barcelona’s history, winning two LaLiga titles and two Spanish Cups, as well as a Champions League with 164 goals in 207 games.
However, Neymar went further, winning a Champions League, a Club World Cup, a European Super Cup, three Spanish Cups and a Spanish Super Cup before departing on a landmark £200m move to PSG.
Raphinha also lavishly praised the Blaugrana side’s history in fighting for the biggest titles and told fans to expect a lot of fighting from him in the iconic shirt.
However, the 25-year-old was not only questioned about his reasons for joining the struggling five-time Champions League winners, but also the prospect of playing with Robert Lewandowski, who Barcelona have been linked with this summer.
Raphinha admitted he envisioned providing assists for the likes of Ansu Fati and Jordi Alba
When asked about the prospects of backing the Polish star, he said: “I envision backing Alba, Ferran, Ansu… players who are already in the squad.
“If the president doesn’t want to talk about players who aren’t in the squad, then neither do I.”
Raphinha will become Xavi’s third signing of the summer following the free transfers of Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen from AC Milan and Chelsea respectively.
Raphinha has scored 17 goals in 67 games over two seasons in England with Leeds
