Ex-Leeds United star admits new club was 'difficult' as he hits out at seeing 'rumours every day'

Former Leeds United star Raphinha has admitted he considered his future at Barcelona less than six months after swapping life at Elland Road for a move to the Catalan giants.

The Brazilian winger become something a cult figure during his time with the Whites after he was snapped up in a £17m deal from French club Rennes in October 2020. After being slowly introduced into life in the Premier League with three substitute appearances, Raphinha showed promise during a goalless home draw before grabbing his first Leeds goal in a 1-0 win at Everton just over a month after his arrival. That would be the first of 17 goals for the club - but none would be more important than the one he scored on his last Leeds appearance as he netted in a 2-1 win at Brentford on the final day of the 2021/22 season that helped preserve the club’s Premier League status.

However, with interest from home and abroad dominating the following summer, Raphinha departed to join Barcelona in a reported £55m deal by the time the new season had got underway. As his former club fought an unsuccessful battle against relegation from the Premier League, Raphinha helped Barcelona to the La Liga title and has gone on to score 23 goals and provide 28 assists in 91 appearances for the Catalan club. However, he revealed it could have been very different after he struggled to adapt to life at the Camp Nou.

He told RAC1: "Did I consider leaving? Yes. The first six months were complicated for me and my family. After the World Cup I improved and I was able to finish the season well. I was calmer, but at the beginning it was quite difficult. My adaptation was difficult for me. I knew what I had to do, but not that it would be so difficult on a personal level. I once thought about leaving. Barca is a giant club and it's normal that it's difficult. I wasn't used to this, but it happened quickly.”

Speculation over Raphinha’s next move has dominated the headlines almost from the moment he arrived at Barcelona and continues to this very day. Reports of interest from Newcastle United, Arsenal and Chelsea have been widespread over the last 12 months and the 27-times capped Brazil international is also said to have received lucrative offers from Saudi Pro League clubs. Talk of an exit has become ‘annoying’ for Raphinha and the former Leeds winger has insisted the ‘best one’ is for him to remain with Barcelona.

Speaking on speculation over a possible departure, the former Whites winger said: "It is annoying to see rumours of departure, it is normal. Every day there is a different piece of news and this ends up being annoying. My head has always been here. Every season I think about doing better than the previous one and showing that I'm capable of being here for many years. I've received a lot of offers, but the best one for me is to be at Barca.”