Barcelona have been sent a warning in their pursuit of Leeds United winger Raphinha as his list of potential suitors continues to grow, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Spanish side remain the front-runners for the Brazilian but as their financial issues continue to rumble on, other clubs have entered the race.
Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are all thought to be keen on signing Raphinha this summer, though Barcelona has always been his first choice. Both north London clubs are plotting ambitious transfer windows, but with Bukayo Saka and Dejan Kulusevski both first choice in Raphinha’s position respectively, it remains to be seen whether that would tempt him into joining either of them.
Chelsea are also looking to revamp their attack, with Raheem Sterling reportedly closing in on a switch from Manchester City and Ousmane Dembele a potential target. In fact, Raphinha’s move to Barcelona could be heavily dependent on Dembele’s future, as if he decides against signing a new deal at the Camp Nou, that would free up significant money from a wage point of view.
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But it is the fee which is the biggest stumbling block between the two sides at present, with Romano claiming Raphinha has a ‘full agreement’ on personal terms with Barcelona since February. Leeds have no intention of lowering their asking price, meaning Barcelona must decide whether to pay it, or look elsewhere.
Romano tweeted: “Raphinha deal. Barcelona have full agreement with his agent Deco since February on a five-year deal but Leeds want €55m, no plan to change their price tag. #FCBBarça need to be fast as Premier League clubs are back in the race, including Arsenal - but no bid submitted yet.”
