FC Barcelona plans to extend Raphinha's contract until 2029. The 28-year-old Brazilian winger has become a key player for the team under coach Hansi Flick. His current deal lasts until 2027, but the club wants to keep him longer.

This season, Raphinha shines with 24 goals and 15 assists in just 35 games. He is Barcelona's second-highest goalscorer and a leader in the locker room. 

The new contract will keep him at Barcelona longer and increase his salary starting in 2026. This shows how much the club values what he brings to the team. Raphinha has become one of the most notable players, both on and off the field.

Since joining Leeds United in 2022, Raphinha has adjusted well to his role under Flick’s guidance. He started as a right-winger but now plays regularly on the left side. 

Raphinha's great performance this season puts him on track to beat his fellow Brazilian, Vinicius Jr., at Real Madrid, who also aims for the Ballon d'Or award. With this contract extension, Barcelona wants to keep one of its best players for the future. Fans can look forward to seeing more of Raphinha's skills in the coming years.

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Ayoub El Kaabi is the top scorer of the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League after the group stage, with seven goals. The Olympiacos forward secured his spot with two goals against Qarabağ on Matchday 8. 

Barnabás Varga of Ferencváros follows closely with six goals. Meanwhile, four players: Rasmus Højlund, Samu Aghehowa, Yunus Akgün, and Victor Osimhen, have tied with five goals each, keeping the race for the tournament’s top scorer open.

Race for the top scorer

El Kaabi caught up to the leading scorers on Matchday 7 and cemented his lead on Matchday 8 with a second-half brace. Varga had started strong with five goals in five games but failed to score in Matchdays 6 and 7. However, his penalty in Ferencváros�?win over AZ Alkmaar brought his total to six.

Manchester United’s Højlund joined the five-goal group after scoring twice in a 2-1 win against Viktoria Plzeň. Porto’s Aghehowa and Galatasaray’s Akgün reached five goals in the same match week. Osimhen added his fifth in stoppage time during Galatasaray’s loss to Ajax on Matchday 8.

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Adana Demirspor's players walked off the field during their match against Galatasaray in the Turkish Süper Lig to protest a penalty they thought was unfair. This incident happened after Galatasaray's Alvaro Morata scored a penalty kick in the 12th minute during the match on Sunday, February 9. The team, led by their manager Mustafa Alper Avcı, decided to leave the pitch, which caused the match to be stopped.

Murat Sancak, the president of Adana Demirspor, explained that the players left because of their anger at the referee's decision. He expressed his frustration with the call and said, ‘We were 99% going to lose today anyway�? 

Meanwhile, Galatasaray, the current league leader, also faced criticism. Their manager, Okan Buruk, stated that this case could harm the reputation of Turkish football.

The Turkish Football Federation will look into the incident and decide what should happen next regarding the match. Referee bias has been a problem in Turkish football for many years. This led to calls for better referee decision-making and more accountability in officiating. 

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Despite being one of the most prolific midfielders of the past decade, Casemiro has not been stellar for Manchester United. When he moved to Old Trafford in a £70 million transfer, he was playing well under Erik ten Hag. 

Unfortunately, the Brazilian started to struggle when he began to show signs of slowing down. He has kept sliding and has become a forgotten player for the Red Devils, as new manager Ruben Amorim prefers to not play the veteran in his squad. Now, Casemiro is set to leave on loan to Brazilian side Flamengo.

A move that could benefit both clubs

While the English transfer window closed in early February, it has not closed in Brazil. The deadline for them is on February 28, which could open the path for Casemiro to move to Flamengo. The club wanted Arsenal’s Jorginho to join them in January, but the Gunners held out on sending him away, so moving for Casemiro might be the next-best move.

The Reds have been contacted and have agreed to the loan, which will cover part of his wages. They will likely attach a buy clause for him, so Man U can end their time together, which could be better for the star midfielder.

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The 2024-25 season has been a struggle for Arsenal due to their limited depth. During the campaign, they have faced injuries to vital players like captain Martin Ødegaard and right-back Ben White. 

However, none were bigger than the torn hamstring that winger Bukayo Saka suffered in December 2024. The England star required surgery but is on track to return sometime in early March 2025. He is ramping up his rehab process, as seen in the updates on the club’s social media pages.

Arsenal need Saka to return to his stellar form

Before his injury in December, Saka was on track to have one of the best seasons in his career. He was superb in his 16 matches, producing five goals and 10 assists. 

The Gunners have struggled with depth as the team has not made big moves in the transfer window. With Saka’s return, Arsenal can return to their best and compete for league titles again.

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Barcelona beat Sevilla 4-1 on Sunday after recovering from an early equaliser and a second-half red card. The goals from Robert Lewandowski, Fermín López, Raphinha, and Eric García helped secure three important points. 

Lewandowski is the top scorer, but Guirassy is catching up after scoring twice. Raphinha and Vinícius Júnior are also close, with others on six goals. For assists, Charles De Ketelaere, Jeremie Frimpong, and Raphinha lead with five each.

Barcelona is in third place with 48 points. They are one point behind Atlético Madrid and two points behind Real Madrid, who drew 1-1 on Saturday. Lewandowski scored in the 7th minute, but Rubén Vargas quickly tied it for Sevilla a minute later. 

The first half was close. In the 47th minute, López came on at halftime and put Barça back in front with a great shot. Raphinha added another goal in the 55th minute with a powerful long shot. 

However, five minutes later, López got a red card for a bad tackle on Djibril Sow. Barça was down to 10 players. Sevilla attacked, but Barcelona’s defence held strong and kept them from scoring.

Even with the pressure, Barcelona secured the win in the 89th minute when García scored with a header. The win keeps Barça in the race for the title as they chase the top teams in Madrid.

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Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti expressed dismay over a controversial refereeing decision in the 1�? draw against Atlético Madrid on February 8 during the Madrid Derby.

A penalty was awarded to Atlético after the Real player Aurelien Tchouameni committed a ‘foul�?against Atlético’s Samu Lino during the first half. This window was taken by Julian Alvarez to score a goal that led to a 1-0. 

In retaliation, Kylian Mbappe scored a goal for Real, which evened the score. With a great performance from Atlético's Jan Oblak, the goal was kept tightly shut. The defence against Real was good enough that the match ended with a draw. 

‘The second half of the game went well�? Ancelotti stated that the game went well and both teams made the game intense. ‘The team was disappointed about the results as they believed they deserved the win�?he said in a press conference. 

Ancelotti has not given any statement regarding the ‘controversial penalty�?so far but acknowledged that the referee is in a good position to see the foul and make the call.

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Arsenal is competing with Real Madrid for Martin Zubimendi. The Gunners moved in January, hoping to secure a deal allowing Zubimendi to stay at Real Sociedad for the season. They wanted to act fast and beat other clubs before the summer transfer window.

Zubimendi is known for his strong performances and skills. Last summer, he almost joined Liverpool but chose to stay at Sociedad. Now, the former is expected to try again for him, as they need help in midfield. 

Arsenal is working hard to sign him before the Summer window opens. However, Real Madrid joined the race as they saw him as a good fit for their midfield. Madrid’s strong position in La Liga could make it harder for Arsenal to convince Zubimendi to leave Spain for the Premier League. 

It’s unclear where he will go with three teams chasing him. For Arsenal, signing Zubimendi is crucial. They must improve their midfield since Thomas Partey’s future is uncertain, and Jorginho might leave due to his contract. If they leave, Arsenal will need to sign more midfielders. 

With the competition heating up, Arsenal must act fast to get Zubimendi before Madrid or Liverpool move ahead.

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In what would have been a routine FA Cup tie between the Premier League’s top team and the EFL Championship became a nightmare for the former. Liverpool came into the match against Plymouth Argyle as the overwhelming favourite. 

Manager Arne Slot rolled out a lineup mostly of bench players, as he changed 10 players from his League Cup starting XI from Thursday, February 6 against Tottenham Hotspur. It was an expected decision, but it came back to bite them as Plymouth pulled off the shocking 1-0 upset after a 53rd-minute penalty goal from Ryan Hardie.

Slot wanted to adjust his lineup due to fixture congestion

Since Liverpool were competing in four competitions, Slot aimed to keep his players fit. It is common for the top-flight club to rest players when they’re playing against a lower-league side. 

Slot stated, ‘Most of the things we do, we do for a reason. We have many games to play. The ones who played today need game rhythm, for them to be ready in the upcoming months�?

This was further supported by Plymouth being the worst team in the Championship, toiling away at the 24th spot in the league table with only 25 points. 

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Barcelona took a huge step towards the top of La Liga with a 4-1 win over Sevilla on Sunday. Goals from Robert Lewandowski, Fermín López, Raphinha, and Eric García pushed Barca to 48 points, one behind Atlético Madrid and two behind leaders Real Madrid.

López scored after halftime to give Barca the lead again, and Raphinha’s strike made it 3-1. Even after López was sent off for a foul, Barcelona held on and sealed the win when García scored late in the game.

Napoli drew 1-1 in Serie A with Udinese, keeping their lead at 55 points, four ahead of second-place Inter Milan. Scott McTominay gave Napoli the lead, but Jurgen Ekkelenkamp equalised for Udinese.

In Ligue 1, Lyon won 4-0 against Reims in their first game under a new coach. Nicolás Tagliafico, Corentin Tolisso, Rayan Cherki, and Georges Mikautadze all scored.

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