Bayern Munich full-back Rafinha denies Flamengo contract agreement
Bayern Munich veteran Rafinha denies the recent reports claiming he has already agreed a contract with Brazilian club Flamengo.
After spending eight years at Bayern Munich, Brazilian full-back Rafinha will be leaving the club in the summer. At 33, Rafinha is no longer seen as a viable option for the Bavarians, who are looking to reinvigorate their aging squad.
Rafinha may be leaving Bayern, but he is certainly not hanging up his boots for good. He has plenty of energy left in his legs and would be a great addition to most clubs across the globe. Several clubs have shown interest in the full-back, and a return to Brazil has long been touted as the most likely option for the 33-year-old.
It was recently reported by UOL that Rafinha had already agreed a pre-contract with Brazilian club Flamengo, in preparation of joining the club in the summer. However, Rafinha has since come out and openly denied this claim.
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Speaking to Bild, the Brazilian made it clear that his future is still undecided.
"“No decision has been made yet about my future. I do not know if I’ll stay in Europe or go to Brazil.”"
UOL‘s report was far from the first to link Rafinha with a move to Flamengo. In fact, Sky Germany claimed earlier this year that the Brazilian club had already taken steps to secure Rafinha’s future.
Apparently, however, the 33-year-old’s future is not as decided as it seems.
Rafinha has been an admirable player for the Bavarians since moving to Munich. He has never established himself as a guaranteed starter — always finding himself behind either Philipp Lahm or Joshua Kimmich in the pecking order — yet he has performed his role as a squad player without any complaints (mostly).
With Benjamin Pavard joining from VfB Stuttgart in July, Bayern already have one player who can serve as a replacement for the Brazilian. Despite often playing at right-back for the France national team, though, Pavard is more comfortable in the center of defense.
Lucas Hernandez — one of Bayern’s main transfer targets for the summer — is also capable of replacing Rafinha on the left side of defense, but he too is more comfortable as a center-back.
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It will be interesting to see if Bayern opt to move for an actual backup at full-back or simply allow Pavard and Hernandez to fill in for Joshua Kimmich and David Alaba when necessary.