Chelsea are interested in signing Leeds United winger Raphinha this summer but they are not alone in the race with Barcelona also pushing for his signature. Todd Boehly is set to provide £200million for the transfer window as the Blues look to close the gap on Manchester City and Liverpool.
Leeds clinched their Premier League survival on the final day of the season with a 2-1 win away to Brentford. It was a game that saw Raphinha at his best, scoring the crucial opener from the spot to climb above Burnley into 17th place. It also ensured that a release clause of around £25million would not become active in the summer.
There is a sense among the Elland Road faithful that the 25-year-old's departure is inevitable this summer nonetheless, and the focus among the board may now be ensuring they get as much money as possible for him. After the clash in west London, Marsch commented on what comes next for his side.
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“All the staff need a deserved break. It’s been a stressful time," Marsch said after the dramatic final day. "We will have a meeting in a few days to build those roster and this club to represent what we want to be. A team always changes. From the academy upwards we want to maximise potential."
But when asked whether he could assure fans about the futures of stars such as Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips, he replied: "I can’t. Being honest, I haven’t even enquired. I read more than I am told!”
Barcelona appear to be leading the race for Raphinha and a report from Sky Sports revealed the La Liga giants intend to begin formal negotiations over a transfer. Had Leeds been relegated, the Brazilian would have become available on a cut-price deal thanks to a release clause, but that is no longer the case.
So, are Chelsea out of the running? Not yet. Chelsea were working on a deal to sign Raphinha prior to Roman Abramovich's sanctioning, after all. Back in January, Tottenham appeared to be on the cusp of signing Luis Diaz from Porto only for Liverpool to swoop in at the last moment once they became aware of what fee would be demanded. This is an example Marina Granovskaia and co could follow.
Back in March, it was reported by The Mirror that Barcelona were only willing to offer £33.4million to Leeds for Raphinha, a fee that falls way short of what the West Yorkshire side will demand. As a result, Chelsea already know what they need to do to hijack this deal.
Splashing nearly £70million on a winger who is at present unproven in the Champions League could be seen as a risk. Nevertheless, if he is a player Tuchel wants then they are at least aware now of what it might take to sign him.
