Barcelona will not offer more than €55 million for ‘Ousmane Dembele’s replacement’ – report | OneFootball

Ousmane Dembele is officially a free agent after choosing not to extend his contract with Barcelona. The winger, who cost a sum upwards of €120 million, now has the leeway to walk for free, and even if he decides to continue with Barcelona, will be signed as a new player.

This opens up a glaring hole on the right-wing for Barça, who already have a depleted squad ahead of the 2022/23 season. While Robert Lewandowski and Jules Kounde are priorities, Joan Laporta must shift his attention to Raphinha, who is thought to be Dembele’s replacement.

Raphinha is currently stuck between Barcelona and Chelsea, as the Blues have struck a €70 million deal with Leeds United for the Brazilian. The player wants to move to Barcelona, who are not ready to offer anything more than €55 million, as reported by SPORT.

The add-ons offered by Barcelona could help the transfer fee touch €70 million, but that is still below Leeds’ demands, especially since they have a much better offer on the table.

Raphinha’s agent, Deco, meanwhile, is trying to convince Leeds to accept Barça’s offer. He understands his client’s demands and is willing to wait out Chelsea’s offer to push the player to sunny Catalonia.

This transfer saga is expected to have a few more twist and turns, especially now that Chelsea are under new management.