Journalist claims FFP restrictions could force Barcelona to sell Chelsea target

Fabrizio Romano reveals Barcelona could sell Chelsea target Raphinha owing to FFP regulations

According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea, and other Premier League clubs are keeping an eye on the situation surrounding Barcelona star Raphinha ahead of the summer transfer window. The La Liga giants might have to cash in on the Brazilian in order to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.

The Blues are interested in signing the Brazilian winger, who fears his game time could be limited if Barcelona re-signs Lionel Messi. Xavi Hernandez also appears to prefer Ousmane Dembele over the 26-year-old, who recently recovered from an injury.

And due to their financial difficulties, the Spanish club may be forced to let go of a number of players next season, including the former Leeds United midfielder.

And this could provide Chelsea with an opportunity to sign the Barcelona player for a reasonable price. Speaking to his daily briefing on Caught Offside, the transfer guru, Romano, said:

“Barcelona want Lionel Messi, and they are trying to make it work with Financial Fair Play. The main way to do this will be to reduce the salaries of stars like Sergio Busquets, but they could also sell players like Raphinha. None of this will be easy, but they are working on it, they are talking to La Liga, and Messi’s situation is open.”

Chelsea were keen on the Brazilian star last summer but were unable to convince him to reject Barcelona to move to Stamford Bridge. A year on, it remains to be seen if we can swing the fortunes in our favour.

We definitely need a right-winger, and if we can get the 26-year-old, he could prove to be an asset. This is especially true if Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic are sold in the summer. Noni Madueke can do a job on the right flank but he is far from the finished product.

However, the likelihood of Barcelona acquiring Messi is also not guaranteed because they will first have to cut salaries, so the situation is ambiguous right now.

More Chelsea News:

• Juventus and Napoli have expressed interest in signing Chelsea star Christian Pulisic
• David Moyes claims Chelsea transfer target Declan Rice will be very expensive with Arsenal also keen
• Frank Lampard gives update on Benoit Badiashile’s playing time at Chelsea

Raphinha is a proven talent in the Premier League and will not need a bedding in period to adjust to life at Stamford Bridge. Hopefully, we can fund the move given our lack of Champions League income.