Leeds United may demand €80 million for Barcelona-linked forward

Hurdled by financial hardships, Barcelona have had to endure a few rusty weeks. It appears their current financial crisis has crippled their pursuit of several top targets including Raphinha.

A recent report from The Athletic’s Phil Hay has now offered another damning report on Barcelona’s waning prospects of signing the forward.

The highly-reliable Leeds United correspondent claims the Whites are sympathetic to Raphinha’s desire to leave Elland Road in the summer.

But with the forward still having two years remaining on his current contract, Leeds will not sell him on a cut-price deal. With the club also retaining its top-flight status, they are expected to demand around €70-80 million for the attacker.

Barcelona had the option of signing Raphinha for just €25 million if Leeds had gotten relegated to the Championship. But as fate would have it, it was the Brazilian himself whose goal helped Leeds remain in the Premier League.

The Catalans, as a result, will now have to cough up big money to sign the former Rennes starlet.

With Barça on the verge of losing Ousmane Dembele on a free transfer, Raphinha had been identified as the ideal replacement for the explosive Frenchman.

But with Leeds United holding out for a staggering price-tag of €70-80 million, signing the player could be next to impossible for the Spanish giants amid the ongoing financial crisis.

Barcelona, though, are expected to put their negotiations skill to good use and perhaps include a few fringe players in the deal, in an attempt to lower the cost of the operation.

The likes of Oscar Mingueza and Sergino Dest have been mooted as potential makeweights in the deal, although it remains to be seen how much they can possibly fetch in the coming summer.