Report says Hansi Flick is ‘in love’ with €50m in-form Barcelona player

Hansi Flick’s Barcelona are 11 games old across all competitions and with nine wins, it is safe to say that the German has made a resounding start to life with the Catalan club. The team has been performing at a very high level so far this season.

There is no player in the current Barcelona squad who perfectly embodies Hansi Flick’s philosophy better than Raphinha. The only player who could give a tough fight to the Brazilian is Gavi, but we have yet to see the 20-year-old Spaniard in action.

Raphinha has turned over a new leaf in his Barcelona career under Hansi Flick. With six goals and six assists from 11 appearances across all competitions, the Brazilian has endeared himself to the Barcelona fans and finally won them over after two seasons of indifference.

A report by SPORT has now explained how Hansi Flick is ‘in love’ with the Barcelona player and has been impressed by him since their first training session together. The 27-year-old Brazilian won over the German coach with his intensity in training.

The report adds that this was one of the major reasons the German coach prioritized a transfer for Dani Olmo over Nico Williams back in the summer as he saw Raphinha as a player able to offer him everything he needed in attack.

In addition to this, Flick also understood the versatility that Raphinha brought to the table. In a squad where he could bring in many reinforcements, he saw value in the €50m-rated Brazilian being able to play in a number of positions in attack and midfield.

It is safe to say that Raphinha has answered his coach’s call perfectly so far. The ‘unplayable’ Barcelona star is now also one of the club captains and is showing immense leadership both on and off the pitch. It looks like this new responsibility has also brought the best out of him.

Raphinha, at the moment, is one of the best wingers in the world. He has added so much to Hansi Flick’s team so far this season. It remains to be seen how the Brazilian’s season pans out from here on and let’s see how it goes.