ARTICLES

Chelsea approach to sign Leeds United star hit by sanctions

Transfer News: Chelsea’s approach to sign Leeds star Raphinha was frozen by sanctions

In his column for Caught Offside (h/t football.london ), transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed that the imposed sanctions on Chelsea might be the reason for their failure in the pursuit of Leeds United winger Raphinha.

The Brazilian has been the stand out performer for the Peacocks in this campaign, bagging ten goals and three assists in 35 appearances across all competitions. Since moving to Elland Road, Raphinha has hugely influenced the team, but he seems to be looking for a different challenge.

The 25-year-old was emotional during Leed’s final home game and was seen bidding farewell to his teammates and the fans. His transfer seems inevitable at the moment, but despite making approaches, Chelsea hasn’t been able to reach an agreement due to no fault of their own.

Raphinha seems to be closing on a move to FC Barcelona.

It is believed that Marina Granovskaia and co. pushed for the signature of the Brazilian in January. However, the imposed sanctions made it highly difficult for the team to make any kind of solid offers, ceding the initiative to FC Barcelona, who are now leading the race to sign the 25-year-old. 

Big Blow for Chelsea?

Chelsea’s forward line hasn’t been up to the task in this campaign. Big money players like Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, and Kai Havertz have failed to provide a sustained performance, leading to the manager depending on midfielders for goals and assists.

Christian Pulisic has seen his game-time take a hit, which has created speculations on his future at the club. If the American star leaves, then the club might have to find a quality replacement for him soon. 

Chelsea were highly interested in Raphinha. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Raphinha has shown impressive growth in the last few seasons, and considering he has enough Premier League experience; could have had an immediate impact upon his arrival. However, it seems that wouldn’t be the case as he might be landing in Barcelona next summer. 

More Chelsea News

Chelsea’s ownership problems seem to be costing the club a lot, especially in the transfer window. Hence, the board would be wise to complete the formalities of transferring the ownership as soon as possible in order to move ahead with their plans regarding recruitment.

Surajit Das

Recent Posts

Chelsea reap the benefits of PL rival’s poor judgement

Chelsea recently loaned Jadon Sancho on a season long load deal from Manchester United. (with an obligation to buy)

24 hours ago

Things not ‘fine’ at Chelsea as Enzo Maresca plots the big picture

After a disappointing 2023-24 season under Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea wasted no time in parting ways with the Argentine manager. The…

1 day ago

Joe Cole compares cohesive Chelsea trio to all conquering rival attack

Former Chelsea player Joe Cole has showered praises on the club and compared their attackers with Liverpool's iconic trio.

1 day ago

Maresca talks about players “out of the Conference League squad” amid increasing fixture congestion

After stealing all three points at the death away at Bournemouth last week, Chelsea brace themselves for another tough away…

2 days ago

West Ham vs Chelsea – Preview, Teams News & More | Premier League 2024-25

Chelsea face West Ham away from home in the Premier League Chelsea and West Ham go head-to-head on matchday five…

3 days ago

Reece James features in full gear at Cobham, hinting at an early return

Reece James and his injury problems are becoming a matter of grave concern with every passing week for Chelsea. The…

3 days ago