Raphinha's Battle for Barcelona's Left Wing

Raphinha still has one powerful ally inside Barcelona: Hansi Flick.

The new coach has nailed his colours to the Brazilian’s mast from day one, convinced that a fully fit Raphinha can still be a decisive force in a team that wants to play on the front foot. Flick’s faith has not wavered, even as injuries and inconsistency have chipped away at the winger’s momentum.

But belief is one thing. The market is another.

Trust – and a brutal reality check

Raphinha’s last year has been littered with physical setbacks. A recurring hamstring problem in his right thigh has stalled him just when he has needed rhythm most. Every time he has seemed ready to explode, the muscle has tugged back.

The most alarming moment came not in club colours, but with Brazil. During the World Cup, he again felt discomfort, a reminder that this is no passing niggle. For a player whose game depends on acceleration, sharp changes of direction and repeated sprints, that is a serious concern.

Barcelona’s medical and technical staff want to rebuild him, not just patch him up. The aim is simple: get back the best version of Raphinha, the one whose intensity and directness can rip open games. At the same time, the club has quietly moved to protect itself if that version never fully returns.

That protection has a name. Several, in fact.

Gordon arrives as a statement

Anthony Gordon is not just another signing. He walks into the dressing room as a direct rival, with a profile that overlaps heavily with Raphinha’s and a transfer fee that shouts “starter”.

Seventy million euros, plus up to ten million in add-ons. For a club still counting every cent, that is a huge bet. Barcelona do not spend that kind of money to pad out the bench. They spend it to change the hierarchy.

Gordon’s versatility is part of the attraction. He can operate across the front line, even as a centre-forward when the system demands it. Yet Flick’s insistence on bringing in a pure No. 9 this summer tells its own story. The German coach sees Gordon first as a left winger, the very strip of grass Raphinha has called home.

It is a tactical decision, but also a message. The left flank will no longer belong to anyone by default.

A teenager in the queue

The competition does not stop with Gordon.

Jesse Bissiwo, just 18 and Belgian, is being fast-tracked. Officially, his squad number ties him to the reserves. In practice, he will live and train as a first-team player, learning at close quarters and waiting for his chance.

Inside the club, Bissiwo is viewed as a project for the future. That future, though, is not five years away. If he proves he can handle the pace and pressure, he immediately becomes another real option on the left.

For Raphinha, that means another set of boots on his territory. For Gordon, it means there will be no room for comfort. For Flick, it offers something he values above almost anything else: internal competition at a high level.

Adeyemi, the flexible wildcard

Then comes Karim Adeyemi, the joker in the pack.

The German forward prefers the right side, where he can cut in onto his stronger foot and attack the box. That is where he feels most dangerous. Yet his record at Borussia Dortmund shows he knows the left touchline well enough: 43 of his 146 appearances came from that flank.

Those numbers matter. They tell Flick that if he needs more pace, more depth, or a different kind of runner on the left, Adeyemi can do the job without needing a crash course in the role.

So the left wing at Barcelona, once a relatively settled position, now looks like one of the most congested areas in the squad.

A fight with no hiding place

Strip it back, and the situation is clear.

Flick trusts Raphinha. He likes his character, his work rate, his willingness to track back and suffer for the team. He believes that, with the right physical preparation, the Brazilian can still be the explosive wide player Barcelona thought they were signing.

But the club has armed the coach with alternatives. An expensive, Premier League-hardened arrival in Gordon. A fearless teenager in Bissiwo. A flexible, high-speed option in Adeyemi.

For Raphinha, there is no soft landing here. If his body holds and his form returns, he can still force Flick to keep writing his name on the teamsheet. If the hamstring flares again, or the level drops, the left wing will move on without him.

At a club where the margin for error is shrinking by the season, that is the new reality on the flank.