Barcelona and Leeds United are reportedly set to meet to chalk out the transfer details for Raphinha, valued at €65 million by the Whites.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Barcelona will visit Leeds to discuss the plan for Raphinha in the summer transfer window. The Catalan giants are hoping to reach a resolution with Mateu Alemany’s meeting with Leeds United, whose price tag for the Brazilian international is around €65 million.
Raphinha has taken no time to establish himself as one of the best forwards in the Premier League. The 25-year-old was impressive in his debut campaign in the English top-flight in 2020/21, where he inspired Leeds United to a top-half finish. But the player’s efforts to guide the Whites to safety this past season have turned him into a club icon.
The Brazilian international was a talismanic figure for Leeds, racking up 11 goals and three assists in 35 Premier League appearances and scoring on the final day to ensure Leeds’s top-flight status remained intact. But Raphinha now wants to embark on a new adventure in the summer transfer window, with Barcelona his preferred destination.
Raphinha is reportedly a priority target for Barcelona, now more than ever, with Ousmane Dembele closing in on departing from Camp Nou as a free agent. While the Blaugrana initially planned to sign Raphinha even with Dembele onboard at Camp Nou, they recently decided to pursue the Leeds talisman only if the Frenchman departed.
With Chelsea reportedly on the brink of securing the services of the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner, Barcelona will need to accelerate the plans to sign Raphinha. With that in mind, the Catalan giants are visiting Leeds to talk to the Whites about the plan for the Brazilian international.
Leeds will seek €65 million in exchange for Raphinha’s services, which seems to be a stumbling block for Barcelona, who will only be willing to offer around €40 million for the 25-year-old. But Barcelona will hope to reach a resolution in the upcoming meeting, with the transfer fee top of their agenda.
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It will be interesting to see if Leeds United will budge from their stance on Raphinha’s €65 million price tag. For now, Barcelona’s hopes of signing the Brazilian international are dangling by a thread due to the Whites’ demands. But Raphinha’s eagerness to play for Barcelona might help the Catalan club’s prospects.
