Football Today
·29 June 2022
Football Today
·29 June 2022
Reports broke out on Tuesday that Chelsea have reached an agreement with Leeds United worth £55 million for the signing of Raphinha.
Having managed to jump the queue ahead of Barcelona and Arsenal, the Blues are now working to finalise the personal terms with the Brazilian’s agent.
However, Goal reports that Leeds are encouraging the Gunners to come up with an even better offer to beat their London rivals for Raphinha.
But it remains to be seen whether the Gunners would still proceed as they reportedly had a verbal bid turned down by Leeds before Chelsea struck a deal.
Barca, who were supposed to be Raphinha’s preferred destination, were also in dialogue with the Whites in the final hours, but they couldn’t match the west Londoners’ offer.
Furthermore, Chelsea’s new owner Todd Boehly, who is also acting as the interim sporting director, wants everything to be sorted out quicker on the player’s side.
The Blues will pay the transfer fee on a single instalment, and they are still looking to add Raheem Sterling to their attacking ranks.
They are confident of striking a deal with Manchester City for Sterling with their new bid, with manager Thomas Tuchel turning out to be a big fan of the English forward.
For Arsenal, they wouldn’t be regretting much about Raphinha as they have reached an agreement for the transfer of Gabriel Jesus, and Fabio Vieira’s addition from Porto has also been confirmed.
Elsewhere, Barca might look to convince Ousmane Dembele to stay put at Camp Nou, with the Frenchman’s contract expiring on Friday.
The Blaugrana are reportedly preparing for last-ditch talks with his agent, who has previously rejected the club’s renewal offer.
The former Borussia Dortmund star has been linked with a move to the Premier League, with the Blues holding an interest in his free transfer.