For some time it has seemed like only a matter of time before Raphinha would become a Barcelona player. The Leeds United winger caught the eye of those in power at the Catalan club, as he delivered two seasons worth of excellent form for Leeds in the Premier League.
There was even talk of him being available for a cut-price fee of around £20million if the Whites were relegated. However, the Brazilian played a key part in keeping Jesse Marsch's side in the Premier League and Leeds are now thought to be holding out for a fee of £60million to sell their star attacker.
It has since become clear that Barcelona cannot do a deal for that price, at least not at this time. They have severe financial constraints which have made it impossible to register free transfers in Anders Christensen and Franck Kessie and it seems they would not be able to find the funds for Raphinha unless they sell Frenkie De Jong.
