Chelsea approach to sign Leeds United star hit by sanctions | OneFootball

Transfer News: Chelsea’s approach to sign Leeds star Raphinha was frozen by sanctions

In his column for Caught Offside (h/t football.london ), transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed that the imposed sanctions on Chelsea might be the reason for their failure in the pursuit of Leeds United winger Raphinha.

The Brazilian has been the stand out performer for the Peacocks in this campaign, bagging ten goals and three assists in 35 appearances across all competitions. Since moving to Elland Road, Raphinha has hugely influenced the team, but he seems to be looking for a different challenge.

The 25-year-old was emotional during Leed’s final home game and was seen bidding farewell to his teammates and the fans. His transfer seems inevitable at the moment, but despite making approaches, Chelsea hasn’t been able to reach an agreement due to no fault of their own.

Raphinha seems to be closing on a move to FC Barcelona.

It is believed that Marina Granovskaia and co. pushed for the signature of the Brazilian in January. However, the imposed sanctions made it highly difficult for the team to make any kind of solid offers, ceding the initiative to FC Barcelona, who are now leading the race to sign the 25-year-old.

Big Blow for Chelsea?

Chelsea’s forward line hasn’t been up to the task in this campaign. Big money players like Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, and Kai Havertz have failed to provide a sustained performance, leading to the manager depending on midfielders for goals and assists.

Christian Pulisic has seen his game-time take a hit, which has created speculations on his future at the club. If the American star leaves, then the club might have to find a quality replacement for him soon.

Chelsea were highly interested in Raphinha. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Raphinha has shown impressive growth in the last few seasons, and considering he has enough Premier League experience; could have had an immediate impact upon his arrival. However, it seems that wouldn’t be the case as he might be landing in Barcelona next summer.

Chelsea’s ownership problems seem to be costing the club a lot, especially in the transfer window. Hence, the board would be wise to complete the formalities of transferring the ownership as soon as possible in order to move ahead with their plans regarding recruitment.