Raphinha has set himself the target of reaching double figures for both goals and assists in his debut season for Barcelona. The former Leeds United winger initially struggled at Barca after swapping Elland Road for the Camp Nou last summer. But a hamstring injury to Ousmane Dembele in January has presented him with the platform to showcase his quality, and Raphinha has seized his opportunity.
He has scored six goals and provided five assists in 17 games since the turn of the year, and produced the match-winning strike in Barcelona's latest victory over Valencia last weekend.
Raphinha has been directly involved in a goal every 94 minutes in 2023, and has extended his tally to eight goals and nine assists for the season. But the Brazilian international is not yet satisfied with his record, and is determined to further increase his output in front of goal.
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“I’m never satisfied. At the beginning of the season I put the numbers I want to reach on a piece of paper. When I arrive at a new team, I set myself the goal of scoring 10 goals and providing 10 assists,” he told Catalunya Radio.
“And if I get there I increase five goals and five more assists. Now I’m getting close, but with eight goals and nine assists I’m still not satisfied. I like to do more and more and more.”
The 26-year-old is not short of inspiration when it comes to Brazilian success stories at Barcelona. The Camp Nou has seen the likes of Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, and Neymar among others grace its hallowed turf in the past three decades.
And Raphinha claims he has the same smiling demeanour off the pitch as Ronaldinho, but has compared his serious nature on the pitch to Rivaldo.
“Off the pitch I don’t know much about Rivaldo, but I know that Ronaldinho on and off was always the same, always smiling. Off the pitch I am a bit more like Ronaldinho and on the pitch a bit more like Rivaldo, more focused, more serious," Raphinha added in another interview with Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.
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