Brazilian wizard Raphinha has made no secret of his desire to move to Spanish giants Barcelona.
According to the ever-reliable journalist, Fabrizio Romano Barcelona have had an agreement dating back to February with Raphinha’s agent Deco. Leeds United’s relegation last season would have been ideal for the Catalonia club as it would have meant they could trigger Raphinha’s £25 Million release cause. That was not to be as the Yorkshire giants dodged the bullet on the final day of the season with a 2-1 win in the Capital against Brentford.
Leeds United Dig Their Heels in Over Raphinha Sale to Barcelona
Leeds Won’t Budge Over Raphinha Transfer Fee
Further reports from Phil Hay of The Athletic suggest that Leeds are holding out for between £60 million and £70 million. Leeds will be mindful of the fact that Raphinha has two years left on his deal. His value would significantly drop should this saga roll on and he enters the last 12 months of his contract.
Arsenal are without doubt monitoring the situation. A move to the Emirates would seem unlikely considering Raphinha’s preferred right wing position is currently occupied by Bukayo Saka. (READ MORE about a potential move for Saka here). Both can play on the left but are more destructive on the right. Arsenal’s failure to secure Champions League football is also a damning blow and may make the move even more unlikely.
Barcelona have reached a full agreement with Raphinha over a five-year deal but Leeds are holding out for €55m.👀
[Via – @FabrizioRomano] pic.twitter.com/nxC4BiUwQl
— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) June 19, 2022
Raphinha Could Stay at Leeds
Another realistic alternative is that the former Rennes winger stays at Leeds United until Barcelona can stump up the asking fee. The 25-year-old will be aware that this will probably be the biggest move of his career as he enters his peak years as a footballer. Barcelona are without doubt his dream move and it’s possible he holds out for a move to Spain however long that may take.
Despite having the knowledge that relegation would secure his dream of a move to the Nou Camp, the Brazilian showed passion, desire and commitment in abundance as he helped drag Leeds over the line to safety. This speaks volumes about his professionalism.
It’s a complicated scenario, but with the new season around the corner, it’s one that Leeds and Raphinha will both want to get sorted as soon as possible.
