Barcelona win the race to sign Leeds forward Raphinha as they agree deal worth £63million - Mail 10/7/22
EXCLUSIVE: Barcelona set to win the race to sign Raphinha from Leeds as they table late bid worth £63m to pip Chelsea to his signature after receiving a cash boost from selling TV rights - with the Brazil winger always favouring a move to Nou Camp
Barcelona appear to have won the summer race for Leeds
midfielder Raphinha
Chelsea and owner Todd Boehly had a bid for the Brazilian
accepted last month
The 25-year-old playmaker was holding out for a move to the
Spanish giants
The switch to Barcelona is expected to be worth £55million
plus add-ons
By MIKE KEEGAN
Barcelona appear to have won the race to sign Chelsea target
Raphinha.
The Spanish giants are set to land the Leeds United
playmaker in a deal worth an overall figure of £63m.
Barcelona has always been the Brazilian’s preferred
destination but until recently Chelsea were the only side to meet Leeds’s
valuation of £55m, plus £8m add ons.
However, a late move from the Nou Camp outfit means it is
now likely that the player will seal his dream switch.
The news will come as a blow to Chelsea manager Thomas
Tuchel, who is close to finalising a deal with Manchester City for Raheem
Sterling.
The England man was in London for a medical and is set to
join Chelsea in Los Angeles, where they are on a pre-season tour.
City defender Nathan Ake is set to follow Sterling and return
to Stamford Bridge.
Financial difficulties – including a reported debt of £508m
– have hampered Barcelona’s pursuit of Raphinha.
And with Leeds seeking cash up front, a move to Catalonia
had seemed in the balance. But the selling of television rights has improved
matters.
