Fabrizio Romano: Chelsea target Raphinha is heading to Barcelona.
According to popular Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Barcelona have reached a complete agreement with Leeds United to sign Chelsea target Raphinha for next season.
This Raphinha saga has dragged on for some time now with Chelsea very keen on signing the Brazilian winger but the Leeds United man always wanted Barcelona. It now seems like the player has gotten his wish with a move to the Spanish giants imminent.
Romano reports that the deal that Barcelona have agreed with the Yorkshire club is a €58m fixed fee plus add-ons up to a total €67m package. Chelsea also had a full agreement with Leeds but they could not convince the player to sign for them.
It might feel like an opportunity lost for the Blues because of how talented Raphinha is. The Brazilian winger has been one of the best in his position in the Premier League in the past couple of seasons and has been a stand-out player for Leeds United.
In fact, this season, he was the lone shining light in a struggling Leeds team battling relegation as Raphinha helped the club stay afloat in the top flight of English football on the last matchday. The 25-year-old Brazilian played 36 games for Leeds this season scoring 11 goals and providing three assists across all competitions.
His performances at the club level have not gone unnoticed. The Selecao have taken notice of Raphinha and his exceptional abilities with Brazilian national team manager Tite already handing the talented winger nine caps in which he scored three goals.
Barcelona have managed to sign a seriously good player who would have been perfect for Chelsea. Raphinha is one of the most hard-working players in the league and has an exceptional work rate both offensively and defensively, possibly a consequence of training under Marcelo Bielsa.
He has the knack for scoring goals but he is also a very good chance creator and sets up assists for his teammates. The 25-year-old is one of the best set-piece takers in the Premier League and often chipped in with free kicks and penalties for the Whites.
This might be an opportunity lost for Chelsea but it definitely is not the end of the world. We can always look at other alternatives to strengthen our wing position. At least now that the Raphinha saga is over, we can truly move on from it and focus elsewhere.
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