€60 million-rated Barcelona forward does not want to leave amid Chelsea interest

A shocking report emerged yesterday linking Barcelona star Raphinha with a late move to Chelsea.

It appears the Blues are exploring a late swoop for the Brazilian international, who has become a key cog in the Catalan giants’ side since his arrival.

Raphinha is not the only target for Chelsea, as the Premier League giants are also considering a move for Ferran Torres.

Raphinha does not want to leave Barcelona

Shortly after the rumour exploded in the transfer market, Ben Jacobs has offered an update on the situation, suggesting Raphinha has no desire to leave Barcelona.

The forward, who left Leeds United to join Barça last summer, had a fairly solid debut season in La Liga, scoring seven goals in 36 league matches.

This season, one would expect Raphinha to become an important part of the Barça attack following the exit of Ousmane Dembele.

But the Brazilian, whose market value stands at €60 million, has featured in only 42 minutes of league action so far, having been suspended after his sending-off in the opening game against Getafe.

With Lamine Yamal exploding, Raphinha’s spot in the starting XI might be under threat, but the 26-year-old has no desire to leave Barcelona.

A costly affair for Chelsea

Raphinha’s desire to remain in Barcelona could be a major obstacle for Chelsea. But perhaps a bigger problem could be his price tag.

As per Jacobs, signing Raphinha this late in the window could prove to be a costly affair for the Blues, who have already spent a fortune since the arrival of Todd Boehly.

Barcelona, for their part, have no time to find a replacement, even if they manage to sanction the sale of the attacker for a lucrative offer.

So it will not come as a surprise to see Raphinha continuing in Catalonia this season.

Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.