Barcelona snap up 18-year-old Ghanaian wonderkid on three-year deal: Reports

Barcelona have completed the signing of Ghanaian centre-back Hafiz Gariba on a three-year deal, per a report by SPORT journalist Toni Juanmarti. The deal was completed as soon as Gariba turned 18.

The deal was reportedly in the works for a while as the club had reached an agreement with the player's side. However, they were waiting for his official approval once he turned 18. The wonderkid is appreciated for his physicality and strength with a knack for intercepting passes and ground recovery.

As per SPORT, Barcelona and other top-tier Spanish clubs noticed Hafiz Gariba during his days at Escuela Marcet. Despite reportedly receiving several offers in recent months, Gariba preferred to join the Catalans. The youngster will first become a part of the club's Juvenil B set-up led by Pol Planas. The long-term plan is for him to gain experience there before moving to the Juvenil A setup.

As such, it will be a long while before Gariba makes his way into the first team. However, Barcelona's signing of the Ghana international marks another step in their plan to acquire talented young prospects from all over the world. Since the Catalan side is not in the best position financially, developing promising young talent could be fruitful for them in the future.

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Barcelona are keen on renewing Brazilian superstar Raphinha's contract: Reports

Raphinha - Source: Getty

According to journalist Miguel Rico, Barcelona sporting director Deco is eager to renew winger Raphinha's contract as soon as possible. The Catalans are aware of the Saudi Arabian interest in the Brazilian and want to secure his future on time.

Raphinha's current contract at the club runs until June 2027. He reportedly rejected an offer from Saudi Arabia last summer with hopes of succeeding at Barcelona. The offer would see him earn a reported €20 million annually while Barca would acquire around €80 million in transfer fees.

The report suggests that the Catalan side wants to extend Raphinha's contract while offering a better salary to ward off future Saudi interest. The 28-year-old currently earns €12.5 million annually at Barca, per Capology.

Raphinha has shown remarkable improvement this season under Hansi Flick, contributing 24 goals and 15 assists in 35 appearances for La Blaugrana across competitions. It is not surprising that Barca would want to retain him especially given their attack lacks too many options.

The Catalans have already extended the contracts of key players like Pedri, Gavi, and Pau Cubarsi with Lamine Yamal's extension reportedly on the cards. The club will look to secure Raphinha's future by the end of this year as well.