Barcelona attacker Raphinha reportedly turned down a €100m (£84.5m) move to Saudi Arabia during the summer transfer window, with the Brazilian making it clear that he wanted to remain with his Catalan club.
There was a host of speculation surrounding the forward's future during the summer market, with Barcelona said to be open to a sale due to their financial problems.
According to SPORT, Al-Hilal offered Raphinha a €100m (£84.5m) net salary over four years, while Barcelona would have received a €100m (£84.5m) transfer fee for the former Leeds United attacker.
The report claims that Barcelona were prepared to accept the offer, but Raphinha rejected the lucrative switch in order to remain with his La Liga club.
The 27-year-old has been in excellent form for Hansi Flick's side in the early stages of the current season, scoring three goals and registering three assists in four appearances.
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Al-Hilal 'made significant offer' for Barcelona's Raphinha
Raphinha provided two assists in his opening three La Liga appearances of the campaign, before scoring three times and setting up another in Barcelona's 7-0 success over Real Valladolid before the international break.
The Brazilian arrived at Camp Nou from Leeds United in July 2022, and he has represented the Catalan giants on 91 occasions, scoring 23 goals and registering 28 assists in the process.
"I've watched [Raphinha] play many times and it doesn't surprise me. He's taken a while to score a hat-trick but he's got the quality to do it," Barcelona boss Flick told reporters following the team's win over Real Valladolid last time out.
"He's had a great performance. Raphinha works very hard to create space for others. He does many things well, he's one of the players who've done really well in all four matches."
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Was there Premier League interest in Raphinha?
Raphinha starred for Leeds in England between 2020 and 2022, scoring 17 goals and registering 12 assists in 67 appearances in all competitions.
There were suggestions of interest from the Premier League during the summer transfer window, with Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United all said to be keen.
However, a firm offer did not arrive from England's top flight, with Al-Hilal the only side to place a bid on the table.
A big-money sale of Raphinha would have solved a lot of financial issues for Barcelona over the summer, but the forward rejected a switch to Saudi Arabia, and he has the capabilities of starring for the Catalan outfit this term.
Matt Law
