Raphinha has revealed his decision to snub a move to Chelsea this summer was influenced by his desire to emulate Ronaldinho.
The Blues looked to be in pole position to sign the Brazilian star from Leeds after they gazumped London rivals Arsenal, who had also expressed an interest in signing the attacker.
Raphinha and his agent, former Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder Deco, resisted Chelsea’s overtures and managed to secure a move to Camp Nou.
The former Rennes star has hit the ground running since his move and played a vital role in Barcelona’s superb start to the new season.
Asked whether he rejected the chance to remain in the Premier League, Raphinha told La Vanguardia: ‘Rejecting an offer from Chelsea? Yes, because my dream was to wear the Barca shirt.
‘I followed them since I was young, since Ronaldinho arrived. I wanted to be a part of it. The desire was stronger than any other proposal, no matter how powerful it was financially.’
‘I knew that I might have some difficulties to come and to be registered. But I was also aware of the effort the club was making.
‘So I decided to trust and adapt to the economic conditions that existed.
‘I was born in La Restinga, a very poor neighborhood in Porto Alegre. I had a very poor childhood, so to speak.
‘But my family taught me that humility and values are much more important than material things and that has saved me on many occasions.’
Meanwhile, Lewandowski has made a fine start to his career in Spain having scored eight times in five appearances, including a hat-trick in the Champions League win over Viktoria Plzen.
‘He’s a great footballer,’ Raphinha added. ‘We all already knew. But when you are with him you see that he’s much more than a leader.
‘We also have the talent of Dembele, Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres, Memphis… They all have immense quality.’
