Official: Inter snap up Rafinha on loan from Barcelona

Milan, January 23: Inter have completed the signing of Barcelona midfielder Rafinha on loan until the end of season, the clubs have confirmed.

The Brazil international could make the move to Serie A permanent, with Inter possessing an option to purchase him before the end of his loan in a €35million deal that could rise by a further €3m.

It has been reported the fee will become will become mandatory if Inter qualify for the Champions League this season, in which case Rafinha will sign a three-year contract starting from July.

The 24-year-old is believed to be eager to join a club where he will play regular first-team football, having seen injuries restrict his involvement at Camp Nou in recent years.

He only made his first appearance of the season in the 1-0 Copa del Rey quarter-final first-leg loss to Espanyol last week, having missed most of 2017 due to knee problems.

Barca's club-record signing of Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool, along with last year's arrival of winger Ousmane Dembele, further limited chances in Ernesto Valverde's first team for Rafinha, who progressed through the club's youth system along with brother Thiago Alcantara, now at Bayern Munich.

OFFICIAL: @Rafinha is a new Inter player! ⚫️🔵

👉 https://t.co/EJeslY8hUx#WelcomeRafinha #ForzaInter #InterIsComing pic.twitter.com/BNgk7sOGFR

— Inter (@Inter_en) January 22, 2018

Source: OPTA