Leeds United did not bother looking at Barcelona’s offer for Raphinha

After having worked on the deal to sign Raphinha from Leeds United for months together, Barcelona seem poised to miss out on the Brazilian’s signing, with Chelsea coming in with a late swoop for the winger.

Reports indicate that Chelsea have reached a full agreement with Leeds over a transfer in a deal worth around €75 million.

Barcelona had identified Raphinha as their top target to replace Ousmane Dembele, who is set to depart as a free agent, with his contract expiring in a day.

Personal terms between Raphinha and Barcelona have been agreed upon back in March itself, with the player’s agent, Deco, playing a key role in negotiations.

However, Barça’s inability to meet Leeds’ valuation for the 25-year-old winger left the door open for other clubs to swoop.

Arsenal made a bid and saw it get rejected, while Tottenham Hotspur had also been in talks with the Whites over a transfer. But, it is Chelsea who have now emerged as the frontrunners.

Leeds are said to be happy with the offer from the Blues and have agreed on a fee. So much so that, as reported by TV3, the Premier League club did not even bother to look at a proposal Barcelona set for Raphinha after reports of Chelsea’s hijacking of the deal began to pick up pace.

Fabrizio Romano also corroborates the claims, stating that Barcelona tried calling Leeds United with a proposal, but they have no chance of matching the offer tabled by Chelsea.

The Italian journalist also claims that the Blues are now set to start talks with Deco over personal terms. With Barcelona and Arsenal still in the picture, a deal is not done until Chelsea come to an agreement over a contract with the player.

The 25-year-old has been a huge hit at Leeds United since his arrival at Elland Road in 2020. He played a key role in each of his two seasons at the club to help the Whites retain their Premier League status.

Xavi and the Barcelona technical staff have been keen on landing Raphinha to replace the exit-bound Dembele for a long time now. And even though a contract agreement was in place, it seems like the Brazilian is slipping out of the Blaugrana’s hands, as things stand.