Raphinha, a Brazilian attacker, has been signed by FC Barcelona from Leeds United, surpassing Chelsea. The player must now take a medical test and sign his contract in order to finalize his transfer to Barcelona.
The player must now take a medical test and sign his contract in order to finalize his transfer to Barcelona.
Arsenal also showed interest, but the Gunners never followed through after their initial offer was rejected by Leeds in June.
Raphinha was regarded by Barca as a winger who excels in one-on-one situations and makes taking on defenders a vital component of his game.
Reports state that the deal will involve a set cost of €58 million, which might increase to €68 million with add-ons.
Raphinha is FC Barcelona’s first major acquisition of the summer, following the free-agent signings of Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen. The deal now appears to have been finalized.
Raphinha’s entry was expected to make things more difficult for Ousmane Dembele, who became a free agent on June 30. Raphinha was the subject of a formal offer from Barcelona to Leeds United that was approved after several weeks of deliberation and anticipation for the resolution of the Ousmane Dembele contract renewal saga.
However, it is rumored that Xavi Hernandez wants both players in his starting lineup. The Frenchman, who was sighted in the locker room on Tuesday afternoon with his teammates, now appears to be staying at the Camp Nou after all.
Dembele will sign a two-year contract at Camp Nou, putting him in the same salary range as Pedri and Ansu Fati, two teenage wonderkids who presently earn between €6-7 million ($6.1-7.1 million) annually.
Barcelona is also interested in Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, despite being encouraged recently by the implementation of economic systems that allowed them to sign Raphinha despite being in debt to the tune of $1.5 billion.
