Club chief to travel for talks with Leeds United – Angus Kinnear unimpressed with initial stance - Sport Witness 6/6/22
By Naveen Ullal
Leeds United avoiding relegation has upset Barcelona’s plans
for Raphinha. The Catalan club could have taken him for €25-30m had the Whites
dropped from the Premier League.
The La Liga side haven’t given up on the winger and their
director of football, Mateu Alemany, ‘will travel’ to England to hold talks
with the Whites.
That’s according to Sport, who explain that Leeds United are
demanding €65m for their star. This is the first barrier the Blaugrana chief
has to break during the meeting with the English club.
Barca had initially put the operation to sign the Brazil
international on hold as they were waiting to see where Jesse Marsch’s side
would finish the season. This didn’t impress Leeds United CEO, Angus Kinnear.
Alemany needs to regain a ‘good negotiating climate’ with
Leeds, which the player’s agent, Deco, ‘diligently started months ago’. The
representative has stepped aside now and the new contacts will be between the
leaders of the two clubs.
The Whites have valued their player at €65m, while Xavi
Hernández’s side are willing to pay around €40m. Due to Barcelona’s financial
conditions, Alemany has a tough task on his hands to sign Raphinha.
Alemany not only has to take the transfer fee into account,
which he needs to negotiate with Leeds, but also try to fit the attacker into
Barca’s wage structure.
Raphinha’s ‘commitment to the Blaugrana is unbreakable’. He
is not ready to listen to offers from Premier League clubs. This is done to
stop Leeds carrying out an auction for him and making the deal even more expensive
for Barca.
It is down to Barca and the Whites to find an agreement to
carry out the signing.