Raphinha’s Future at Barcelona Secured as Al-Hilal Targets Salah
Barcelona have been waiting for a break in the Raphinha saga. It may just have arrived from the most unlikely of places: Al-Hilal’s own ambition.
For weeks, the Brazilian winger has lived under the shadow of a colossal Saudi offer, his name tied to a move that promised generational wealth and a brutal decision for both player and club. Now, the landscape is shifting. The Saudi Pro League giants, long-time admirers of Raphinha, are throwing their weight behind a different superstar: Mohamed Salah.
Salah Becomes the Prize
According to SPORT, Al-Hilal have intensified their efforts to prise Salah away from Liverpool, elevating him to the top of their attacking wishlist and, in the process, easing the immediate threat over Raphinha’s future at Barcelona.
The numbers underline how serious they are. Al-Hilal have put forward a three-year contract for Salah, with an option for a fourth season, and a net salary of €20 million per year. It’s the same financial bracket they were believed to have prepared for Raphinha, a clear sign that the Brazilian is no longer the sole focus of their recruitment drive.
Raphinha’s name remains on their shortlist. It hasn’t disappeared. But he is no longer the headline act.
Raphinha’s Battle Is Elsewhere
For now, Raphinha’s fight is not with Saudi millions, but with the clock and his own body.
The winger is immersed in an intensive rehabilitation programme, working through three training sessions a day as he races to be fit in time for a potential World Cup quarter-final on July 5, if Brazil navigate their next knockout tie. His attention is fixed on recovery, not negotiations.
Recent reports suggested he had asked Al-Hilal to pick up talks again once his World Cup campaign with Brazil was over. That request hinted at a player at least willing to listen, even if not yet ready to walk away from Barcelona. The Saudi offer, in other words, was real enough to sit on the table.
Now, with Al-Hilal pouring their energy into Salah, that table suddenly looks a little less crowded.
Echoes of 2024 – But a Different Ending?
Barcelona know this story well. Al-Hilal’s pursuit of Raphinha is not new.
In the summer of 2024, shortly after Hansi Flick arrived at Camp Nou, the Saudi club launched a spectacular attempt to lure the winger away from Spain. The figures were staggering: a three-year contract worth €100 million net. Raphinha later admitted that such an offer forced him to seriously question his future, and Barcelona braced themselves for a potential exit.
He stayed. Flick built around him. And over time, Raphinha grew into one of the German coach’s most important attacking pieces.
This summer threatened to reopen the same wound. Another Saudi push. Another round of speculation. Another test of Barcelona’s resolve and the player’s loyalty.
But the dynamic has changed. With Al-Hilal now concentrating their resources and attention on Salah, the pressure valve around Raphinha has loosened. Barcelona’s fear of losing a key attacker in the middle of a rebuild has, at least for the moment, eased.
The Brazilian remains an attractive option for the Saudi club. His name will not vanish from their notebooks. Yet he no longer looks like their first-choice prize.
For Barcelona and Flick, that subtle shift might prove decisive in keeping one of their main weapons exactly where they want him: on the right flank at Spotify Camp Nou, rather than under the Riyadh floodlights.
