Raphinha overtakes Messi, and Flick denies him the chance to "shatter" Ronaldo

What's the story?

Brazil's Raphinha has moved closer to renewing his contract with Barcelona until 2030, with negotiations between the two parties progressing positively, according to what Deco announced before the club's general assembly, alongside work on renewing the contracts of Xavi Espart and Marc Bernal.

The announcement landed on the same day Raphinha kept up his striking form. He scored a hat-trick against Sevilla in the seventh round of the Spanish league, raising his tally to 12 goals in the competition this season and confirming his status as one of Barcelona's most prominent players since the start of the campaign.

Opta data tells the story. Raphinha has already surpassed the numbers Lionel Messi posted across the first seven matches of a season in the 21st century, and only Cristiano Ronaldo has bettered him, with 13 goals for Real Madrid in 2014-2015. Raphinha had hoped to equal or break the Portuguese star's figure, only to be substituted in the 76th minute.

This is Raphinha's best spell since his move to Barcelona. He has adapted seamlessly to his new role as a false nine, failing to feature on the scoresheet in only one league match, against Levante, and scoring one or more goals in every other outing. Now he has reached a hat-trick in two consecutive games.

Barcelona want to keep their captain for the long haul, and Raphinha quickly warmed to the idea of a renewal. He feels settled within the club and the city, and he is desperate to continue his career with the Catalan side, indeed to end it in a Barcelona shirt.

Talks have intensified over recent days. Deco confirmed to the general assembly that the agreement is proceeding according to plan, with a clear convergence between the two parties, paving the way for Raphinha to remain at Barcelona until 2030.