FC Barcelona look to hijack Chelsea FC's bid for Raphinha - report
FC Barcelona are ready to challenge Chelsea FC in the race for Raphinha with a £60m offer for Leeds man, according to a report
FC Barcelona are looking to challenge Chelsea FC in the race to sign Raphinha with a £60m offer for the Leeds United midfielder, according to a report in England.
The Times, as quoted by Metro, is reporting that Chelsea FC looked to be in pole position to sign the Brazil international in the summer transfer window after moving ahead of Arsenal.
The same article states that the Blues put together an initial offer of £55m that could rise to £60m which left the south west London side on the brink of securing a deal for the Brazilian.
According to the same story, Chelsea FC’s superior offer had usurped Arsenal in the race for Raphinha’s signature and the South American midfielder was keen to complete a switch to Stamford Bridge.
The Times have now revealed that FC Barcelona are prepared to produce an offer of £51m up front with a further £9m in adds on as the Catalan side look to sign the Leeds star.
The media outlet unveil that Raphinha’s agent Deco held a meeting with representatives of FC Barcelona this week to discuss the attacking midfielder’s prospective transfer to Camp Nou.
Raphinha scored 11 times and made three assists in 35 games in the Premier League last season.
Leeds signed Raphinha in a £17m deal from Rennes in 2020 and he has been capped nine times by the Brazilian national team.
Chelsea FC, who start the new Premier League season with a trip to Everton, are still searching for their first signing of the summer transfer window as Thomas Tuchel aims to transform his team back into top-flight title challengers.
