Raphinha set to miss Leeds United pre-season tour amid transfer saga

Raphinha has emerged as one of the most sought-after players in the transfer market this summer, with a plethora of top clubs across Europe keen on acquiring his services.

Barcelona are among the clubs to be listed as potential suitors for the Leeds United forward, who is likely to depart Elland Road this summer after two successful years at the club.

According to the highly-reliable Phil Hay of The Athletic, Raphinha is set to miss out on the club’s pre-season trip to Australia in light of speculations surrounding his future. He is expected to train in England until a club eventually prevail in the race to sign the Brazilian.

Raphinha’s missed trip to Australia comes just days after Leeds United confirmed the capture of Luis Sinisterra. The Colombian winger has been brought in as a direct replacement for the 25-year-old, which suggests a move away from Elland Road could soon be on the horizon.

Barcelona are said to be closing in on the signing of the Brazilian international in the coming days, but the negotiations could be impacted by the latest speculations involving Ousmane Dembele.

It appears the Frenchman is closing in on an agreement with Barça over a contract extension of two years. His prolonged stay at Camp Nou could potentially impact the role of Raphinha, from a sporting perspective, and for Barcelona, from an economic perspective.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how Barça approach the transfer saga. The Catalans have maintained both the players can co-exist in the same team, as the club continue to bear the economic toll, it will not be surprising to see them relinquish their pursuit of the Brazilian this summer.