Having struggled to establish himself at Barcelona, Rafinha has flourished in a more prominent role at Inter since his January loan move.
The 25-year-old has made 16 Serie A appearances, scoring two goals and providing three assists as he has settled into a pivotal role for Luciano Spalletti’s side.
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Although they risk missing out on the Champions League as the Nerazzurri need a win at Lazio on Sunday to leapfrog them into fourth place, Rafinha may well have done enough to convince the Italian outfit to sign him outright regardless.
His father, Mazinho, has now revealed that it is their hope that an agreement can be reached between the two clubs this summer over a permanent move, as he has conceded his son is happy where he now is.
“Champions League qualification has nothing to do with Rafa’s future, it all depends on Inter,” he told the paper edition of Tuttosport, as reported by Calciomercato. “It will be up to Inter and Barça to find a solution. That said, we’d like to know as soon as possible.
“I still do not know what Inter has decided, let alone Barça, but we will make it clear that we are happy in Milan and that we do not want to start from scratch”.
Competition for places will remain fierce at the Nou Camp, with the likes of Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets, Paulinho and Philippe Coutinho all battling for a starting berth in midfield.
In turn, it’s difficult to see Rafinha emerging as one of Ernesto Valverde’s top options, and so from his perspective, he’ll surely prioritise a move to Inter to continue with Spalletti, even though it will surely be a massive disappointment to leave the Nou Camp.
As per Calciomercato last month, it’s been claimed that it could take a bid of up to €38m to prise him away from Barcelona, and so it remains to be seen if an agreement can be reached between the two European giants on a transfer fee firstly.