Raphinha Emerges as Barcelona’s Perfect No. 9 After Explosive Start to the Season

Accordingto Mundo Deportivo, the No. 9 Barcelona have been desperately searching for may have been in their squad all along — and that player is Brazilian international Raphinha.

The Brazilian attacker, who will turn 30 in December, has established himself as a genuine top-class finisher for Barcelona and the club’s most reliable source of goals at the start of the season. He once again produced a spectacular brace in Barcelona’s opening Champions League match of the season against Feyenoord.

His transformation has not only been reflected by head coach Hansi Flick officially handing him the captain’s armband, but also by his dominant performances on the pitch, which have firmly established him as one of the team’s new leaders. With Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres having left the club, and Barcelona’s attempt to sign Julián Álvarez ultimately falling through, Raphinha has emerged as the club’s genuine No. 9 after scoring eight goals and providing one assist in his first five competitive appearances of the season.

Although he was not naturally developed as a centre-forward, his consistent goalscoring has firmly secured his place as Barcelona’s main No. 9. On the pitch, he is the leading figure in Flick’s high-pressing system, spearheading the team’s pressure from the front and helping ensure that the German coach’s tactical plan functions effectively.

Raphinha has also been remarkably efficient in front of goal. In his first five matches, he has scored eight goals from just 13 attempts, with 12 of those efforts finding the target and one hitting the post.

His eight goals in five games have already brought him within touching distance of the 10 goals he scored across his previous two seasons combined. One of his major ambitions this season is to surpass the 34 goals he scored in the 2024-25 campaign — his best-ever tally in a single season and Flick’s first season in charge of Barcelona.A Record Almost 70 Years in the MakingTo find a Barcelona player with a start to the season comparable to Raphinha’s current scoring form, one has to go back almost 70 years.

According to statistics provided by well-known RAC1 journalist Oriol Romeu, the last Barcelona player to score eight or more goals in his first five competitive matches of a season was the legendary Sándor Kocsis, who scored nine goals during the opening five matches of the 1958-59 campaign.
Since then, no Barcelona player had managed to reach eight goals in their first five official appearances — until Raphinha.

However, the Brazilian is not satisfied with what he has achieved so far. Having finally moved beyond the injury problems that troubled him last season, Raphinha is determined to become Barcelona’s most dangerous attacking weapon as the club aims to compete for trophies on all fronts.

Above all, reclaiming the Champions League title remains the ultimate dream for both Raphinha and the entire Barcelona squad.Deco Opens the Door to Another Raphinha Contract ExtensionAlthough Raphinha already signed a contract extension with Barcelona in May 2025, keeping him at the club until June 2028, his extraordinary start to the new season has inevitably attracted the attention of both fans and the club’s hierarchy.

On Thursday, Barcelona sporting director Deco told RAC1’s El Món programme that the club would be open to beginning talks over another contract extension for Raphinha ahead of schedule.

“We always keep a close eye on our players’ contractual situations and make sure we have control over them so that we do not find ourselves in a difficult position in the future. We want the salaries of players of a similar level within the squad to remain relatively balanced, avoiding problems caused by differences in wages. We genuinely want Raphinha to stay at Barcelona for a long time,” Deco said during his conversation with host Jordi Basté.

Those comments effectively opened the door to another renewal for the Brazilian, whose form has been nothing short of sensational at the beginning of the campaign.

Raphinha has previously attracted lucrative offers from major Saudi clubs, with some reportedly prepared to offer him enormous wages. However, the Brazilian has consistently placed the happiness he shares with his family in Barcelona and at the club above the financial appeal of Saudi Arabia’s oil wealth and enormous salaries.