Barcelona have reportedly reached an agreement with Raphinha over signing a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2028.
On the same day as the Athletic crowned him European Men's Player of the Season, Raphinha now looks set to commit his future to the club where he has won three major honours this season.
In a prolific frontline alongside Robert Lewandowski and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, Raphinha has guided Barcelona to La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de Espana.
No player in Europe's top-five league has contributed to more goals than Raphinha this season, as the 28-year-old has 57 involvements - 34 goals and 23 assists.
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Raphinha close to committing long-term future to Barca
As a reward for that astonishing campaign, Fabrizio Romano claims that everything has been agreed in principle for Raphina to sign a new contract at Barca until the summer of 2028.
That will see the Brazilian extend his current deal by an additional year after a dream campaign in Montjuic at the club's temporary home, and he may not be the only one who signs a new contract this summer.
Manager Hansi Flick is expected to sign new terms imminently, while reports this week have also suggested that Yamal will earn a bumper deal once he turns 18 in July.
After years of mismanagement, Deco is now working hard to ensure that the club holds on to their key assets, while also maximising potential profits no matter what the future holds.
However, the number one objective will remain success on the pitch, and keeping the winning formula together will make them big favourites to retain the La Liga title next year, as well as being highly-fancied for the Champions League.
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Has Flick brought the best out of Raphinha?
It would not have been a surprise if Raphinha left Barca last summer, but many will be thanking Flick for keeping him at the club, and getting the best season of his career out of him.
Raphinha did hit double figures for both goals and assists last season, but the numbers pale in comparison to those he has put up this time around.
Under Xavi, the Brazilian was not a regular starter, and he has gone on to play more than double the minutes he did last season, but he went from scoring 10 during the 2023-24 campaign, to 34 in 2024-25, with one game remaining.
It has been his ability to show up in big games that has been most impressive though, especially versus Real Madrid, against whom he has five goals and two assists, and in both legs against Inter Milan, even though those goals were not enough to take them through to the Champions League final.
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Andrew Delaney
