Ex-Leeds United winger reveals ‘hope’ over future amid Newcastle United and Chelsea speculation

The Brazilian, who moved to Barcelona from Leeds last summer, has been tipped for a return to the Premier League when the transfer window reopens. Newcastle have been heavily-linked with a move for Raphinha this summer - but they could face stiff competition.

Chelsea, who were close to sealing Raphinha’s signature before he moved to the Camp Nou, have also been linked with a move for the Brazilian, whilst reports that Arsenal also hold an interest continue to persist. Any deal for the 26-year-old will likely cost north of £50m, however, the player himself has poured cold water over a move away from the club this summer.

Speaking after Barcelona were confirmed as La Liga champions, Raphinha said: “I hope to be able to come back again.

“We worked hard for this, we knew what we wanted and to crown the league with this rally is spectacular. It’s better than I imagined.

“I would ask the people to keep supporting us because next season we are going to try something more and go for as many titles as we can get.”

This is the second time that Raphinha has cooled talks over a move away from Barcelona after he responded to an Instagram post claiming that he wanted to leave Barcelona this summer. A furious Raphinha responded: "LIE. The person who said this is beyond a liar and uninformed."

The player's comment was then deleted, prompting him to post: "OK, why did you delete my comment? LIE, once again, this 'OK' is LIE And whoever said that is a LIAR, MISINFORMED AND UNPROFESSIONAL. If my comment is deleted, I will post it on my Instagram."