Speculation around Raphinha and a potential move to Saudi Arabia has taken a sharp turn, with fresh clarity emerging from within the Al Hilal camp.
In recent days, reports had suggested that the Barcelona winger was the subject of a major offer, with Al-Hilal positioned as the driving force behind the move. However, those claims have now been dismissed.
The rumours had quickly gained traction, largely fuelled by the growing trend of high-profile players being linked with lucrative Saudi deals.
Raphinha’s name was the latest to be added to that list, with talk of a multi-million-euro proposal doing the rounds.
But according to those close to the situation, the story never truly developed beyond speculation.
Denying Saudi talks
The denial came from Federico Pastorello, who represents Al Hilal manager Simone Inzaghi.
Speaking recently, as relayed by SPORT, Pastorello made it clear that the manager has not requested the signing of the Barcelona forward.
Al-Hilal were never interested in Raphinha. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
He stressed that the reports of negotiations or formal offers were inaccurate and should not be taken seriously.
“Inzaghi has not requested the signing of Raphinha Diaz, as has been rumoured in recent hours.”
He went even further by dismissing the idea of ongoing talks or formal proposals, adding strong clarity to the situation.
Emphasising that the reports were baseless, Pastorello insisted that everything being said about negotiations or official offers was simply not true.
“Inzaghi has decided to postpone all matters relating to new signings or the list of potential departures until the end of the current season.
“The fact is, Inzaghi does not want the transfer market to distract a team focused on the final stretch of the championship,” he added.
As far as Barcelona are concerned, they know that Raphinha remains settled at the club, but there is an understanding that decisions about his future may soon need to be made.