For the first time since his move from Leeds United to Barcelona on Wednesday, Brazilian winger Raphinha has spoken about his switch to the Catalan giants.
The transfer saga involving the 25-year-old has finally come to an end, with Barca completing the signing of the Brazil international on Wednesday afternoon.
It almost seemed like the deal would not go through at one point, with Arsenal first initiating talks with his now former club Leeds United, and then their London rivals Chelsea reportedly agreeing a fee for the winger with their EPL counterparts.
It was reported that Raphinha was not against moving to London, but it was clear by the way his agent Deco pushed for the Blaugrana transfer that the forward was determined to make the move to Catalonia.
"This is a dream come true for me, not just for me, also my friends and family," the Porto Alegre native told BarcaTV.
"They've seen me playing since I was a kid. They knew this was a dream of mine to come here. All I can do now is give my best and try to help Barca be what it's always been.
"What I can say about myself is that I'm very excited to win. I like to win, any time I lose it's very difficult to accept.
"So, you can expect a player who will always be fighting, always try to win, in training sessions as well. I will fight to become a better player.
"For me, it's a tremendous honour. I saw Ronaldinho come here and achieve so much and after that Neymar as well.
"For me, as a Brazilian, to come here it's an honour. I hope to reach the same objectives that those two players achieved."
Raphinha joins a long list of legendary Brazilians who made the Camp Nou their home, and having just lit the Premier League up with a side from Yorkshire, the skilful winger will now be keen to showcase his talents with one of the biggest clubs on the planet.
