At some point, you wonder if Raphinha’s going to ring Deco and ask how much Barcelona actually want him at the Nou Camp. Leeds United’s prized winger continues to wait for a bid to go into Elland Road from the club he really wants to join.
A contract agreement, virtually a formality when his agent is in Barcelona’s recruitment department, has reportedly been agreed for months and yet the hardest part is still to get underway. Joan Laporta’s confidence, or arrogance, in his pursuit of Raphinha was plain to see again yesterday.
This is an open market for Raphinha and United are not about to roll over and have their tummy tickled by the Spanish giants. If they are serious about buying the Brazil international, they need to open the negotiations with an offer.
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If they do not believe they need to enter into prompt negotiations for the player, Laporta et al can sit back and allow Raphinha’s doubt to grow while serious bids do eventually go into Elland Road. Arsenal’s probably doesn’t count as a serious effort based on the reaction at Leeds.
The latest slap in the face of this entire saga is the notion Barcelona cannot afford to make a bid yet. That’s entirely understandable based on their widely documented financial issues, but why then is €35m being formally submitted to Bayern Munich for Robert Lewandowski?
Even if you believe Barcelona do not have the full €75m it may take to get Raphinha out of Leeds, they could at least be seen to be taking this chase seriously by testing the Elland Road waters. Or keep your powder dry entirely, perhaps.
While Barcelona were hiding behind this veil of cash flow problems, there was an understanding the offer would eventually come and all parties would be happy to press on, but when a very public offer goes in for Lewandowski it’s harder to swallow that sob story. Let's not forget Ousmane Dembele, the apparent solution to those cash flow problems, is now reportedly keen on remaining in Catalonia.
All roads seem to lead back to the undeniable truth Deco is so far under the sheets with Barcelona, they don’t care how long it will take with Raphinha or how this all looks to the watching world. They think it’s a done deal.
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