Barcelona director keen on renewing club captain’s contract to fend off Saudi interest | OneFootball

The ongoing speculation over the future of Vinicius Junior has indicated that no European superstar is completely free from the attractions of Saudi Arabia.

Despite being regarded as one of the best footballers on the planet, Vinicius’ future at Real Madrid is far from secure, with the forward being handed an offer too good to refuse.

Keeping that in mind, it appears Barcelona have already started making provisions so that none of their players are at risk of leaving the club.

Deco wants to renew Raphinha

Earlier this week, it was reported that Barcelona have not yet made a decision on the future of three-star players. One of them was Raphinha, arguably the most improved player in Europe this season.

However, according to Miguel Rico, it appears Barcelona sporting director Deco is growing desperate to renew the contract of Raphinha.

Will Saudi Arabia come for Raphinha? (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

The report explains that Deco is well aware of the threats posed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which has been keeping tabs on the Brazilian forward in the past few years.

The 28-year-old had already rejected a proposal from Saudi in the past, which would have seen him earn around €20 million per year in salary, while Barcelona would have pocketed €80 million in transfer fees.

Raphinha’s current contract at Barça expires in 2027. The player has a good salary as well, but it doesn’t rank among the top.

Given the way the forward has played this season, it is safe to expect that Barcelona would want to improve his salary, especially considering the way he acts as a leader on and off the pitch.

Therefore, it won’t be surprising to see Barça expediting the process of renewing the contract of Raphinha in the months to come.

The Catalans have already announced a slew of contract extensions since the turn of the year. By the end of 2025, Barcelona will hope to secure the future of Raphinha as well.