Football
Sam Marsden, Barcelona correspondent 8y

Barcelona's Rafinha open to loan move if he struggles for first-team football

Barcelona midfielder Rafinha is open to leaving the club on loan if he does not feature regularly under Luis Enrique this season.

Rafinha, 23, has seen the competition for a place in the Barca starting XI increase this summer following the signings of Denis Suarez and Andre Gomes.

On top of that, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic are also part of a list of as many as nine players at the club who would name their favoured position as a central midfielder.

Rafinha, who has reportedly attracted interest from Sevilla, can also play further forward and has no immediate plans to leave the Camp Nou, but has conceded he would not be averse to seeking playing time elsewhere if it becomes necessary.

"I don't think about leaving, the truth is that I want to be here at Barca," he told Catalunya Radio. "But logically, if I don't play regularly... well, it's normal that a player wants to play.

"The best for a footballer, what's normal, is to want to be on the pitch. If I don't get that here, there will be no problem going on loan somewhere else. But I will give my all to be able to get minutes for Barca."

Rafinha made his first appearance of the season in Sunday's 1-0 La Liga win over Athletic Bilbao, coming on as a late substitute after returning from Brazil, where he won an Olympic gold medal with his national side.

He has always enjoyed a good relationship with Luis Enrique, who he also worked under at Barca B and during a loan spell at Celta Vigo in the 2013-14 season.

Since returning to Barcelona in 2014, he has made 47 first-team appearances, although that number would have been higher if he had not missed the majority of last season with knee ligament damage.

After Munir El Haddadi's loan move to Valencia was confirmed on Tuesday, the number of players to leave Barca this summer has risen to 13.

Luis Enrique is currently working with a squad of 22 players -- including three goalkeepers -- and it is unlikely he would be willing to allow Rafinha to leave on a temporary basis.

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