Barcelona’s attack looked short of a natural focal point heading into this season, following Robert Lewandowski’s summer exit to Chicago Fire and a failed late pursuit of Julian Alvarez.
That concern has proven entirely unfounded.
Hansi Flick’s side have won all eight of their fixtures in all competitions while scoring 36 goals in the process.
Much of that firepower has come from an unexpected source, with one player reinvented as a central striker producing numbers that have made contract talks a formality rather than a negotiation.
Barcelona sporting director Deco has now confirmed agreements to extend the contracts of Raphinha, Marc Bernal and Xavi Espart.
Raphinha’s deal will now run until 2030, extending an agreement that had been due to expire in 2028, after an explosive start to the season playing through the middle for the first time in his Barcelona career.
The Brazilian has scored 11 goals and added three assists in just seven appearances across all competitions, including a hat-trick against Racing Santander and the match ball again against Sevilla, numbers that mean no player in Europe’s top five leagues currently has more goal contributions.
Deco confirms deals for three Barcelona players
Speaking at Barcelona’s general assembly on Saturday, Deco said, as relayed by SuperSport, “We are quite advanced with Raphinha’s renewal. I can say here publicly that yesterday afternoon we agreed to extend Raphinha’s contract for more years.”
Raphinha’s path to this point hasn’t always looked certain, with his future the subject of genuine debate at various points since arriving from Leeds in 2022, including significant offers from Saudi Arabia that he ultimately turned down to fight for his place at Camp Nou.
Deco also confirmed renewals for two of Barcelona’s brightest academy graduates, with Bernal and Espart, both 19, set to sign extensions in the coming days.
Bernal will pen a new deal until 2031 having broken into the first team during the 2024-25 season and established himself as first alternate to the midfield pairing of Pedri and Rodri, taking his total appearances under Flick to 43.
Espart, meanwhile, will sign fresh terms until 2030 after breaking into the side permanently this summer, having come through La Masia as a midfielder before being converted first to right-back and more recently to left-back.
His performances have been striking enough to keep both Joao Cancelo and Alejandro Balde out of the side for the majority of the season so far, starting all five of Barcelona’s opening league matches, scoring against Levante and adding two assists elsewhere.
Both Bernal and Espart belong to Barcelona’s remarkable 2007 generation, a group that also includes Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, underlining just how deep the club’s academy pipeline currently runs.
Discussing the club’s approach to managing so much young talent, Deco explained, “Every young player dreams of playing for the club, but they cannot all fit in. We have rights over them so that we can maintain control.”
He also paid tribute to two departed forwards, praising Lewandowski as “a club legend and the best striker of the last 15 years,” while adding that Marcus Rashford “gave us a spectacular level of performance last season” following his return to Manchester United.
With all three renewals now agreed in principle, Barcelona’s hierarchy will be hoping the stability translates into continued success as Flick’s side push forward on multiple fronts this season.
Want to get the latest Barcelona news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.
