Barcelona captain Raphinha has agreed to extend his contract until 2030, sporting director Deco announced at the club’s general assembly, securing the Brazilian’s future as he enjoys a blistering start to the season.

Deco said an agreement is in place to add two years to Raphinha’s current deal, which runs to 2028, and that the formalities are expected to be completed imminently. The renewal places Raphinha alongside Marc Bernal and Xavi Espart as the core of players whose contracts Barcelona are finalising this week.

Raphinha, 29, has scored 12 goals in seven La Liga matches, including back-to-back hat-tricks against Racing Santander and Sevilla, and has added two more in the Champions League. He is now La Liga’s top scorer and has 14 goals and three assists in eight games in all competitions.

The forward was named captain at the start of the season after the departures of Ronald Araújo and Marc-André ter Stegen and with Frenkie de Jong sidelined by a knee injury. He has embraced the role and, speaking to RAC1, said he intends to extend his stay and finish his career at Barcelona.

Manager Hansi Flick has praised Raphinha’s adaptation to a more central role in the attack, while teammates such as Fermín López have highlighted how his movement and finishing from different positions have lifted the whole forward line. Barcelona have won all eight of their matches so far this season, with Raphinha’s goals central to their perfect record.