Official: Rafinha renews his contract and joins Celta Vigo on loan Barcelona Galician side will pay his salary

Celta Vigo have completed the signing of Rafinha Alcantara on a season-long loan from Barcelona, although the Brazilian midfielder first renewed his contract with the Blaugrana before making the move to Galicia.

His deal was set to expire next summer, so Barcelona were aware that they could lose him for nothing if he plays well at Celta. Therefore, they have opted to extend his contract by one year, which means his new deal runs out on June 30, 2021.

In short, Barcelona did not want a repeat of the Munir El Haddadi situation where he left for a pittance in January as the Catalan side feared that he would sign a pre-contract agreement with another side.

Celta will pay the entirety of Rafinha's wages during the loan spell, while Barcelona could receive up to 1.5 million euros if certain targets are achieved at Balaidos this season.

It was always Rafinha's intention to depart the Camp Nou as he wants to play regularly, with everything pointing towards the 26-year-old joining Valencia for much of the window. However, similarly to Denis Suarez, Rafinha's former teammate who he will reunite with at Celta, Valencia owner Peter Lim refused to sign off on the deal. In both instances, Celta have been the beneficiaries.

Barcelona, through a statement, have thanked Rafinha for his hard work and dedication whilst also wishing him luck for the season ahead.

For Rafinha, he is returning to a place where he is comfortable. He first played at Celta as a child before joining Barcelona's La Masia academy, and then he later shone during a loan spell in the 2013/14 campaign under Luis Enrique.