Barcelona Relieved as Al-Hilal Shifts Focus to Salah

For weeks, Barcelona have lived with the nagging fear that one of Hansi Flick’s key wide men could be prised away by Saudi money. Now, for the first time in a while, the mood around Raphinha’s future feels a little less tense.

The reason sits 4,000 kilometres away, in Liverpool.

Al-Hilal’s new obsession: Mohamed Salah

Al-Hilal have admired Raphinha for months and were widely expected to return for him after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, viewing the Brazilian as a marquee name for the Saudi Pro League. He has been high on their list, a long-term target with the profile and personality to front a project.

That hasn’t changed. What has changed is the order of priorities.

According to SPORT, the Riyadh club have now shifted their focus decisively towards Mohamed Salah, accelerating efforts to tempt the Liverpool star to Saudi Arabia. The proposal on the table is bold even by Saudi standards: a three-year contract with an option for a fourth and a net salary of €20 million per season.

It is the same financial level they had lined up for Raphinha. The same kind of offer that can turn a player’s head. Only this time, it is being aimed at Anfield rather than Spotify Camp Nou.

The pressure that once surrounded every mention of Raphinha’s name in Barcelona’s offices has eased. Not vanished, but eased.

Raphinha’s battle is physical, not financial

There was a time, not long ago, when the threat felt very real. Reports suggested Raphinha had asked Al-Hilal to pick up talks again once his World Cup duties with Brazil were over, leaving the door ajar to a blockbuster move.

Right now, that conversation is on hold for a simpler reason: he has more urgent concerns.

The winger is immersed in an intensive rehabilitation programme, grinding through three training sessions a day as he races to be fit for a potential World Cup quarter-final on July 5, should Brazil clear their next knockout hurdle. Every day is a test of pain, patience and resilience. His focus is on the next sprint, the next twist, the next medical green light.

For Barcelona, that tunnel vision is welcome. It keeps his head in the competition and, crucially, away from the lure of Saudi riches.

Echoes of 2024 – but a different outcome?

This is not the first time Al-Hilal have tried to pull Raphinha out of Catalonia. The first approach, in the summer of 2024, came just after Hansi Flick walked through the door at Barça.

Back then, the numbers were staggering: a three-year deal worth €100 million net. Raphinha later admitted the offer made him stop and think hard about his future. Any player would. The contract would have transformed his life and, potentially, Barcelona’s transfer plans.

He stayed. Flick built around him. And Barcelona discovered just how important his intensity, work rate and direct threat could be.

Now Al-Hilal are back in the market for a world-class forward, but this time they are pouring their energy into Salah. That switch in strategy changes the landscape. Raphinha remains on their shortlist, still considered a serious option, yet no longer the first name circled in red.

For Barcelona, that subtle downgrade is significant. It buys time. It allows Flick and the club’s hierarchy to plan a little more calmly, to think about contracts, roles and squad balance without the constant drumbeat of an imminent Saudi raid.

Raphinha’s future is not sealed. Saudi interest does not simply disappear. But as Al-Hilal chase Salah, Barcelona can, at least for now, look at their right flank with something they have not had for weeks.

Breathing room.