"The owner of Chelsea called me" - Details emerge from Raphinha situation after Leeds exit | OneFootball

It is now a year and a half since Raphinha made the move from Leeds United to FC Barcelona.

Indeed, in the summer of 2022, the Brazilian star swapped Elland Road for Camp Nou in a deal reportedly worth up to £55 million.

Despite it being so long ago, Raphinha's former agent, and current Barcelona sporting director Deco has opened up on the transfer, addressing some claims made by former Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani when quizzed about them.

Addressing the deal and comments made in a recent interview with FourFourTwo, Deco claims that the player's exit was a mutual one, with Leeds keen to sell him as much as Raphinha wanted to move on.

The now Barcelona sporting director also claims that he did not push for the deal.

"Actually, I didn’t push hard. You know, club presidents don’t usually tell the whole story. Raphinha was very serious and professional with Leeds," Deco explained to FourFourTwo.

"He had a clause that if they were relegated, his price would drop to €20m, and he was the best player when Leeds needed him most – he ran the most, worked the hardest, and I, as his agent, would be incapable of influencing any player for my own benefit.

"Leeds wanted to sell Raphinha. Then bids came in, even bigger than Barcelona’s.

"The owner of Chelsea called me and insisted a lot, putting pressure on me – he really wanted to sign Raphinha.

"But I didn’t push hard for Raphinha to leave Leeds. It was all by mutual agreement."

Deco's comments come after Radrizzani claimed in a 2022 interview that 'Barcelona influences' forced Raphinha to back out of the Chelsea move and hold out for the Catalan giants, inferring that Raphinha's agent, i.e. Deco, was involved.

In that interview, Radrizzani told The Athletic: "For me, it was done [Raphinha to Chelsea], and when I have a deal my word is my word,"

"I felt ashamed to go back to Todd Boehly and change my position.

"Chelsea was in his favourable [option]. But unfortunately, let’s say Barcelona influences convinced the player to wait, to wait, to wait until they could find a solution. "This shows again the power and the leverage players and their agents have in the system, which for me is exaggerated, too much.

"We do a lot of investment to build clubs. We invest hundreds of millions but all the power it seems to be [with] agents and representatives of these players."

Deco: 'Leeds had promised' to sell Raphinha to Barcelona

In that same interview, Radrizzani expressed regret about backing out of the deal with Chelsea, but Deco claims that Leeds had agreed to sell to Barcelona first in what Deco calls a 'desperate moment' for the club.

"The only thing was that the owner of Leeds had promised, in a desperate moment for Leeds, to sell Raphinha to Barcelona for a certain amount," Deco added.

"After the club managed to avoid relegation, largely due to Raphinha’s contribution – among other players, of course – the president changed his stance because of Chelsea’s offer.

"I did waive my fee because I thought Raphinha deserved to be happy where he dreamed of playing.

"He wanted to go to Barcelona, and Barça wouldn’t match Chelsea’s figures.

"It was an effort I made so that the player could be here."

Since joining FC Barcelona, Raphinha has gone on to make 71 appearances for the club so far, scoring 14 goals and registering 19 assists during those matches.

Raphinha has also continued to establish himself as a regular for the Brazilian national team, with his first few call ups and appearances having come whilst at Elland Road.