The Barcelona player moved on loan for the season to Galicia.
Barcelona winger Rafinha Alcantara extended his contract by a year then joined Celta Vigo on loan on Monday, Spain’s transfer deadline day.
With Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele all out injured, Rafinha was given a chance by Ernesto Valverde, which he took, although now he must play elsewhere. He played for Celta as a child before coming to join La Masia.
“Rafinha Alcantara returns, subject to a medical, to the Celeste club on loan, with a purchase option included in the deal,” a Celta statement said.
Barcelona also confirmed the move and added that the Brazil international has signed a one-year contract extension with the Blaugrana, with his previous deal ending next summer.
A target of Valencia in recent weeks, the 26-year-old midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan at Inter Milan after recovering from an ACL injury in his left knee. He scored two goals in 17 appearances for the Nerazzurri.
Rafinha, who featured for Barcelona in all three of their opening La Liga matches, impressed in his first spell at Celta where he scored four goals and set up seven more in 32 games in the 2013-14 campaign while playing on loan in Vigo from Barcelona under coach Luis Enrique
Back where he worked under Luis Enrique as coach in the 2014-15 season, Rafinha was smiling and laughing after sealing his loan move to his boyhood club from Barcelona. He was happy to see Denis Suarez again, whom he played with in Barca.
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