A fresh insight into the ongoing efforts of Spanish giants Barcelona to sign Raphinha from Leeds United has been provided on Monday.
Brazilian wide-man Raphinha has of course long been tipped for a Camp Nou switch.
This comes with Xavi Hernandez and co. eyeing reinforcements on the right flank, braced for the free agent departure of Ousmane Dembele, and expected return of loanee Adama Traore to Wolves.
The Blaugrana’s original plan centered around taking advantage of a clause in Raphinha’s Leeds contract.
The stipulation in question would have come into play in the case of the Whites being relegated from the Premier League, placing the club’s star attacker on the market for a fee of just €25 million.
Jesse Marsch’s troops, though, of course managed to stave off the drop in the end, meaning the board at Elland Road are free to place their own valuation on Raphinha’s head.
LEEDS, ENGLAND – MAY 15: Raphinha walks off carrying a banner made by a fan during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Elland Road on May 15, 2022 in Leeds, United Kingdom. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
And, if the latest word stemming from the Spanish media is anything to go by, then Barcelona have already been made aware of the extent of Leeds’ demands.
It is understood that the Catalans will need to stump up a sum in the region of €55 million to lure the Brazilian international to the Camp Nou ahead of next season.
The transfer team at Elland Road are also aware that several members of Xavi’s squad – namely Sergino Dest, Oscar Mingueza and Martin Braithwaite, have been made available as part of a cash-plus-player type deal.
To this point, however, the Yorkshire outfit have showcased little interest in availing of such an option.
⏲️ El Leeds, a la espera de entablar negociaciones por Raphinha
❌ NO ha pedido jugadores al Barça
✍️ @gbsanshttps://t.co/V9ho3MqBAq
— Mundo Deportivo (@mundodeportivo) May 30, 2022
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