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Barcelona forward Raphinha explained why he initially considered leaving the club after joining from Leeds United in the summer of 2022. The Catalan giants paid a reported €65 million for the forward, as he signed a contract running until June 2027.
Despite exit rumors this summer, the Brazilian has been in sensational form under coach Hansi Flick. Raphinha scored his first hat-trick for Barcelona and assisted Ferran Torres' goal in their La Liga fixture against Real Valladolid on Saturday (August 31).
In an interview with RAC1 following his performance against Valladolid, Raphinha became candid about the initial struggles he faced with La Blaugrana. He said:
"Did I consider leaving? Yes. The first six months were complicated for me and my family. After the World Cup, I improved and managed to finish the season well, but at the beginning, it was very challenging."
The Brazilian added that he managed to settle down after his initial struggles, and added:
"My adaptation to the club was difficult. I knew it was something that had to happen, but not that it would be so difficult on a personal level. This moved my head a little, I sometimes thought about leaving. Not at the end of the season, but in the first half of the season. Barça is a huge club and it is normal for it to be difficult. I wasn't used to that, but it happened quickly."
In 91 appearances for Barcelona, Raphina has recorded 23 goals and 28 assists. He has been a guaranteed starter for the club since his transfer, and is expected to play a key role in their attacking line-up this season.
"My head has always been here" - Raphinha makes his commitment to Barcelona clear amid transfer rumors
In his aforementioned interview, Raphinha rubbished all transfer rumors, adding that he wants to stay at Barcelona. The Brazilian said:
"It's annoying to see rumours, it's normal. I'm not active on social media, but my wife and friends do see it. Every day there's a different piece of news, whether I'm going here or there, and that ends up bothering you. The first six months were very hard."
The forward continued:
"I learned that in every transfer window, my name will be there. My head has always been here. Every season I think about doing more than the previous one and showing that I'm capable of being here for many years."
Further, Raphinha also explained that the minimum objective for Barca was to win the Champions League this season. Barcelona were eliminated from the Champions League after a 6-4 aggregate loss to Paris St-Germain (PSG) in the quarter-final last season. Raphinha had scored three goals in two legs of the quarter-final.
