The Brazil international hasn’t lived up to expectations since arriving at Camp Nou from Leeds United.
Raphinha has admitted he hasn’t made a strong first impression at Barcelona.
Raphinha has scored just once in his 17 appearances for Barcelona across all competitions. His performances have seen him getting less and less game time under Xavi Hernandez, an alarm signal for a newly-transferred player.
“On an individual level, it is a bit hard,” he told Cadena SER. “Being a striker, I like to score and assist and I only have one goal. It hurts a bit, scoring just one goal is complicated.
“But my teammates are helping me and I work hard so that the adaptation is as fast as possible.”
Raphinha started a few games at the left-hand side of Barcelona’s attacking line earlier this season. Xavi hoped to keep Raphinha in the lineup by playing Ousmane Dembele at the opposite flank.
But Raphinha says he has communicated his desire to play as a right winger to the Spanish manager.
He added: “I spoke with Xavi and told him that I would like to compete where I can contribute to the team, on the right. On the left, I can’t contribute much.”
He added: “I don’t mind competing with Dembe for the position, I love it.”
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