Barcelona winger admits he was ‘greatly affected’ by Saudi offer in 2024 – ‘Considered leaving’ | OneFootball

Raphinha has firmly established himself as one of the best players in world football, notably finishing fifth in the recent 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings, with many left surprised by him not featuring in the top three.

However, it wasn’t all rosy for Raphinha at Barcelona, as little more than a year ago, the forward was very close to leaving the club.

The Brazilian, at the time, was coming on the back of a disappointing season under Xavi, allowing Saudi Arabia to sense an opportunity to sign him.

Raphinha on Saudi Arabia offer

It is no secret that Saudi Arabia had even offered Raphinha a fortune, and in a recent interview, the forward has admitted he had even considered leaving at one point.

“I was greatly affected when I received the Saudi offer, because this offer would have solved many aspects of my personal life and secured the future of my parents, my son, and many people close to me,” he told ESPN.

The Brazilian international added that accepting a move to Saudi Arabia would have helped him solve most of his financial problems and would have allowed him to secure the future of his family.

Raphinha was considering leaving Barcelona in the summer of 2024. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

“So, it was natural that we considered leaving, and I genuinely felt that it might be the right time to move on,” he added.

However, Raphinha ended up deciding to stay at Barcelona, especially after the appointment of Hansi Flick.

The forward was involved in a phone call with Flick, where the German detailed his plans and how Raphinha played a central role. And sure enough, he decided to stay.

“But with the arrival of the new coach, we first spoke over the phone, then face-to-face, and he managed to convince me to stay, and fortunately, he succeeded in doing so,” he said.

The rest, as they say, was history as Raphinha ended up enjoying a career-best campaign and a fifth-place finish in the Ballon d’Or rankings.

In the meantime, Raphinha will look to focus on his fitness as the Brazilian faces an uphill task of returning to full fitness ahead of an Oct 26 Clasico against Real Madrid.