Leeds United winger Raphinha could finally seal his dream move to FC Barcelona this summer. In the process, the Catalans have reportedly ended Chelsea’s bid to sign Raphinha.
Chelsea were leading the race to sign Raphinha, after Todd Boehly took over the negotiations and matched Leeds’ evaluation of £60 million. However, the winger had been stubborn in moving to the Stamford Bridge as he had his heart det over a move to the Spanish giants.
Barcelona on the other hand were unable to pay the £60 million as a result of their poor economic condition. The Catalans still proposed a payment in installations which Leeds rejected.
But latest reports tell that Barcelona have launched an eleventh hour bid in excess of £63 million to outclass Chelsea. Leeds have accepted the offer as well, with a move being now finalized for the Brazilian.
Financial levers jump to the rescue of Barcelona
Barcelona’s transfer business is back on track thanks to the financial levers activated by the Catalans. The financial levers include 25% of TV rights and the sale of 49.9% of Barcelona Licensing and Merchandising.
Barcelona will receive a hefty sum of around £350 million from the levers, of which £170 million will be invested in transfers. Raphinha’s £63 million move will also be funded from the money received from the levers.
Meanwhile, Chelsea who have been outbid by the Catalans are now set to sign Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling. The winger whose signing has been approved by Thomas Tuchel will complete a move to the Londoners for a fee of £45 million plus £10 million add-ons.
Furthermore, Chelsea are also in talks with City’s center-back Nathan Ake. After losing center-back duo Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, Tuchel has demanded their replacements.
So far, the Blues have identified Ake as one of their prime targets, with Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt also on their radar. However, they face stern competition from Bayern Munich to acquire the services of De Ligt.
On the other hand, Barcelona are further planning a raid on Chelsea. Todd Boehly was recently held a meeting with the Barcelona officials over transfers of full-backs Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta.
Both Alonso and Azpilicueta want to return to Spain, with Barcelona their preferred destinations. Boehly who has taken over the negotiations for the transfers at the club will close the deals in the coming days as per various reports.