Tides turning again? Raphinha’s agent was spotted at Barcelona offices today | OneFootball

Late on Tuesday, it emerged that Barcelona were set to be beaten by Chelsea in the race to sign Leeds United winger, Raphinha.

The 25-year-old had been on the radars of Barça for months now and the club had made great efforts to agree personal terms with him while making attempts to come to an agreement over a transfer fee with Leeds United.

However, Chelsea swiftly submitted a bid in the region of €75 million which the Whites have accepted. And the Blues are now negotiating personal terms with the Brazilian international’s representative as they look to wrap up the deal at the earliest.

But, in a new development, Raphinha’s agent, Deco, was spotted at the offices of Barcelona earlier today, as reported by Adrian Sanchez.

It is no secret that Deco has close ties with Barça and also acts as a transfer advisor for the club. And he played an integral role in the Blaugrana and Raphinha reaching an agreement over personal terms.

Deco had recently spoken to the Barcelona officials to seek reassurances over a transfer after other clubs started to make their interest known. And with Chelsea now well-placed to sign him, Deco’s presence in Barcelona is certainly intriguing.

He was pictured walking out of the Catalan club’s offices, soon after which director Mateu Alemany and president Joan Laporta’s advisor, Enric Masip, were also spotted exiting the premises.

Whether there was any meeting to discuss Raphinha’s situation remains anyone’s guess at this point. However, Fabrizio Romano earlier mentioned that Barcelona are not in a position to match Chelsea’s offer.

The Italian journalist has reported that Chelsea have tabled a five-year contract until 2027 for Raphinha, which he is yet to accept. Until a deal is agreed upon, the Blaugrana might still have an opportunity, although they would first need to match the Blues’ €75 million bid.