Inter Milan sign Barcelona midfielder Rafinha Alcantara on loan until end of season

Madrid: Barcelona midfielder Rafinha will join Inter Milan on loan until the end of the season with an option to buy, the Spanish club and the player confirmed on Monday.

In a statement, Barcelona revealed Inter "have an option to purchase the player for 35 million euros ($43m) plus three million euros in variables, which must be confirmed before the end of the current season".

The 24-year-old Brazil international, who was out of action for eight months last year due to a knee injury, joined Barcelona aged 13 and rose through the ranks. He has scored one goal in two games for the Selecao but injuries blighted his Barca first team chances.

"I'm really happy," Rafinha told Inter TV.

"It's a great feeling to be here. It's an important stage in my life and I had a lot of desire to approach this new phase in my career.

"There have been a lot of important players at Inter who have made history. I want to do my best and give everything to finish as high as possible and win titles with this shirt.

"It's always nice to have players who speak your language in the squad, I also know Mauro (Icardi), I've played with him before," he added of Inter's Argentina international striker.

Rafinha needed surgery and was out for more than six months after tearing a cruciate knee ligament against Roma at the end of 2015. He then went under the knife again last year after suffering a meniscus injury against Granada in April.

"I hope to play in as many matches as possible and help the team to reach our objective, which is Champions League qualification," he added.

"I can cover a lot of roles, be it on the right or left. I've chosen the number eight shirt."