Transfer News: Chelsea target Raphinha pushing for Barcelona move.
According to the Athletic UK (h/t Football.London), Leeds United are asking for at least £60million to part ways with talented Brazilian winger Raphinha with Chelsea and Barcelona interested in the player.
The former Rennais man joined Leeds in 2020 and has since gone to establish himself as one of the best wingers in the Premier League. A skilful dribbler with a great eye for a pass and a finish to match, Raphinha is a complete package.
This season, the 25-year-old has played 36 games for the struggling Leeds side scoring 11 goals and providing three assists across all competitions. The talented Brazilian has sometimes carried the Whites single-handedly this season and won them several points.
Chelsea and Barcelona are said to be keen on signing the Brazilian sensation. Whilst the player supposedly wants to move to the Spanish giants, there are concerns over whether the Blaugrana club will be able to afford the player.
Whilst Chelsea’s interest in the player is well known, Raphinha’s desire to join Barcelona will go a long way in influencing the way this transfer is headed. It isn’t rare for South American stars to harbour a dream of playing for the Catalan giants, with the likes of Ronaldo Nazario, Ronaldinho, and Rivaldo setting the precedent.
However, if the Spanish club are unable to sign the player due to financial reasons, Chelsea could be waiting to swoop in and convince the player to make a switch to Stamford Bridge. Raphinha could be a useful asset in Thomas Tuchel’s system.
However, there is a question as to whether reinforcing the front line is even a necessity for the Blues considering the fact that they will have to spend a lot of money to rebuild their backline. Spending the big bucks on Raphinha doesn’t seem to make sense.
Raphinha is undoubtedly a great player who will undoubtedly strengthen our frontline. However, he must not be our priority this summer considering we have other places to focus on.
Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi are two players who play in similar positions and can do with the extra playing time. If we are to address any issues in the attack, it should be the centre-forward area.
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