Raphinha, 25, reveals he spoke to Neymar before joining Barcelona this summer

Raphinha, a summer acquisition for Barcelona, has revealed why he chose to join the Catalan giants.

The Brazilian forward said that a discussion with his countryman Neymar convinced him to chose Barcelona over Premier League powerhouses Chelsea even though he had plenty of options after another successful season at Leeds.

In a summer when Chelsea spent a league-record amount of more than £270 million on players, Raphinha was one of their top transfer targets. However, the former Leeds winger ended up moving to the Nou Camp in a £56 million deal.

The 25-year-old gave an explanation of how Neymar's advice influenced his choice, but he also implied that the move was inevitable in his mind because of his personal devotion to the team. 

'I rejected Chelsea because my dream was to wear the Barcelona shirt.'

And he also admitted he was shocked by the positive reception he was given by the Blaugrana fans, saying: 'What surprised me in the club? Without a doubt the warm welcome of the fans, the coaching staff and the players, everyone is good and looking to help the new players.'

Raphinha only recently joined Barca this summer, but he actually has a surprising family connection to the team that dates back quite a while.

When Raphinha was a little child, his father, Rafael, reportedly played in a band called Samba Tri in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Ronaldinho, one of the country's most famous exports and a friend of Rafael's, grew up in Porto Alegre.