Ex-Leeds United man criticised by Brazil legend as transfer exit on the cards

Barcelona and Brazil legend Rivaldo is backing Raphinha to thrive under the stewardship of Hansi Flick. The former Leeds United man has blown hot and cold since making the move to the Nou Camp in 2022 after a couple of very impressive seasons at Elland Road.

Raphinha has recorded 20 goals and 25 assists in 87 games for the Catalonian club, but his inconsistency has led to criticism in the press and as a result his future at the club has been a constant source of speculation. The winger has been heavily linked with a return to the Premier League while more recent reports have suggested that there is strong interest coming from Saudi Arabia.

Raphinha spent his first two seasons at Barcelona under the guidance of Xavi. However, the club opted to replace the Spaniard with Flick this summer and while Rivaldo admits he believed Raphinha would make more of an impact with the club, he says the arrival of Flick could be a key moment in his career.

"We expected more from Raphinha at Barcelona," Ballon D'Or winner Rivaldo told Sport. "Everyone knows he's a great player of great quality.

"He's got a lot of [good] football. As for his departure, it's a complicated moment. It's all up to him. If you stay at Barca, it's to be a starter. Because if you don't manage to get a lot of games together, people doubt your ability and then all this starts: rumours about your possible departure."

He added: "With Flick, who thinks differently than Xavi, things could go better for him. He's a new boss with a new job to do."

Having spent five seasons with Barcelona, Rivaldo knows what it takes to be a success at the club, bagging 130 goals in that time. However, his quotes come amid reports that Flick could see Raphinha as a key part of his plans as he gets to work at the La Liga club.

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That's according to German journalist Florian Plettenberg, who expects to see Flick place his faith in the Brazilian come the new season. However, Plettenberg also insists that Raphinha's future at the club has not been decided.

The 27-year-old has three more years left to run on his current deal but he is attracting interest and a sale has not been ruled out as Barcelona bid to make ends meet financially. Raphinha rejected the opportunity to join Chelsea before joining the Catalan outfit two years ago in a deal that realised a childhood dream for him. With that in mind, Raphinha may well be keen to stay, make the most of his time at the Nou Camp and push to find consistency under Flick.

Raphinha had two years as a Leeds player, making a total of 67 season appearances, with 17 goals coming along the way, with his last coming on the final day of the 2021-22 campaign as Leeds beat Brentford 2-1 to ensure survival.