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Published : 02 Aug 2025, 04:43 PM
Brazilian winger Raphinha believes that former Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford's arrival at Barcelona will enhance the team's attacking options by fostering healthy competition for a starting spot.
The Catalan giants signed the England international earlier this month on a season-long loan deal after failing to lure Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams to Camp Nou.
Rashford will face stiff competition from rising star Lamine Yamal and the in-form Raphinha, both of whom enjoyed outstanding seasons and are in contention for the Ballon d’Or.
Raphinha, now one of the club’s captains, told Diario Sport that he fully supports the growing competition for spots in the starting lineup.
“When you play with this jersey, with this club, you need to be prepared for all the competition that there is,” Raphinha was quoted as saying by 101 Great Goals.
“In my opinion, the more competition we have, the better. It means that one helps the other progress, and that is the most important thing if we want to win titles.”
The Brazilian has scored 34 goals and provided 22 assists in 54 occasions that helped the Blaugrana to clinch the LaLiga title and the Copa Del Ray trophy.
On the other hand, Rashford spent the second half of the last season on loan at Aston Villa and made 17 appearances, scoring four times.
The 27-year-old registered his first assist for Barcelona on Thursday during a pre-season friendly against FC Seoul.
