Barcelona have reportedly beaten Chelsea to sign the Brazilian winger Raphinha. The winger has even denied participating in the pre-season tour.
The winger scored 11 goals in 35 league matches last season to help Leeds United avoid relegation. He has been the center of transfer speculation all through the summer. Raphinha had been heavily linked with Barcelona even before the end of last season.
Though the Blues have agreed to a fee with Leeds United for the transfer, the Brazilian is keener on a move to Catalonia.
Looks like, Barcelona have decided to offer the Yorkshire club the asking price. That would see Barcelona pay £55mil up front with a further £8mil add-ons.
Raphinha has scored 11 goals in his 67 appearances for Leeds in all competitions.
As it looks like Chelsea are missing out on Raphinha, they’ve started looking for other talents. Serge Gnabry is what they feel can be a proper replacement for the Brazilian.
Barcelona, after having a torrid season, will look to play Raphinha from the right and create menace for the opposition, helping them climb up the league table. The player himself has stated that playing for Barcelona is a big dream come true for Raphinha.
Raphinha had a great personal season with Leeds United. Raphinha also can excel at a team like Barca. Also, Barca needs an attacker like him to bolster their scoring. The Catalan club, having had a forgettable season, needs to start off well in the preseason with its players to get their morale boosted.
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