Despite their well-documented financial struggles, La Liga giants Barcelona are still managing to get top players somehow. According to multiple reports, Barca has now wrapped up a deal for Leeds United’s forward Raphinha, who will come to Camp Nou in a transfer worth €67 million with add-ons.
Leeds previously accepted the offer in the range of €70 million for Raphinha from Premier League rivals Chelsea but the player wasn’t keen on making a switch to Stamford Bridge. He only wanted Barca and managed to stall long enough to make the move to Catalonia a reality.
Fabrizio Romano reports that Raphinha will ink a five-year deal with Barca, with the move set to be made official after the Brazilian undergoes his medical.
Raphinha spent his early career in his native Brazil and Portugal before making a switch to Rennes in 2019. After an encouraging two years in France, Raphinha was scooped up by Leeds and started his ascendance to stardom.
In England, Raphinha has taken his game to a new level and proved a key figure in Leeds’ fight for survival in Premier League. That was particularly the case in 2021-22 when he scored 11 goals and added three assists.
Getting Raphinha represents another major coup for Barca and follows the arrivals of Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen on free transfers. The club is also close to keeping French star winger Ousmane Dembélé, who is set to ink a new two-year deal with the club.
