But in a surprise move, Dembele then decided to leave Barca, halfway through the club’s 2023 pre-season tour in the United States, to sign for Paris Saint-Germain for his €50million (£43.6m/$58.9m at the current rates) release clause. It was Raphinha’s moment to shine. Again, however, he faced an early obstacle.

Over the last 18 months, Raphinha has been one of the best forwards in world football, and also one of the most important Barcelona players. The 29-year-old has been in prolific form since the

Raphinha scored twice in Sunday’s Spanish Super Cup victory over Real Madrid but could have left the club had it not been for Hansi Flick.