Barcelona weighing up €70 million offer for Chelsea target | OneFootball

Chelsea have emerged as the surprise favourite in the race to sign Raphinha after coming up with a €65 million proposal that could rise to €70 million through add-ons.

The bid was swiftly accepted by Leeds United, who are in contention to lose both their star players in Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha this summer.

However, according to The Times, Barcelona are ready to steal a march on Chelsea’s deal to sign Raphinha by weighing up a €70 million offer for the Brazilian international.

Barcelona were initially unwilling to go anywhere near the €60 million mark for Raphinha. But over the past few days, the equation has altered, with the club notably registering a €207.5 million windfall through the sale of 10% of the TV rights to Sixth Street.

The fresh financial injection, coupled with the fact that Ousmane Dembele’s contract expires in a few hours, has compelled Barça to make a renewed effort to sign the Leeds United winger.

They are even willing to match Leeds’ asking price by offering a stunning £70 million proposal. However, the reliable Fabrizio Romano adds Barcelona’s new offer will not be accepted by Leeds United this week.

The Premier League outfit want to respect the agreement they have reached with Chelsea. As such, they are only waiting out for Raphinha and his agent to respond to Chelsea’s offer before they can sanction the attacker’s move to Stamford Bridge.

There is no secret Raphinha favours a move to Barcelona, having reportedly agreed personal terms with the Catalans back in March.

But it is worth noting that Raphinha’s agent Deco had played for both Barcelona and Chelsea during his playing days. His good relationship with the two clubs further complicates the situation, giving Raphinha a decision to make as he looks to take the next step in his career.