Chelsea rekindle interest in Barcelona winger, but player not considering an exit

Raphinha was Barcelona’s biggest bet last summer, as the forward joined the club for a fee of around €65 million including add-ons.

But as we approach the final phase of the campaign, Raphinha has struggled to live up to his price tag. With nine goals in 40 competitive matches, his form has been irregular, which has led to speculations over his future at the club.

According to Diario SPORT, Chelsea are one of the clubs keeping close tabs on his situation. The Premier League giants were locked in a bidding war for Raphinha last summer and although their offer was much higher than Barça’s, the player preferred a move to Catalonia.

Chelsea, though, have rekindled their interest in Raphinha, sensing a potential market opportunity to sign the player. Barcelona, too, are aware of the interest and the fact that they can recoup the investment they made last summer.

But the Catalans have no intention to sanction the sale of the former Leeds United starlet just yet. They are prioritising other sales, with Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati among the players in contention to depart.

Barcelona are in a precarious situation and might have to offload a bunch of star players, in order to make way for new signings. But Raphinha is not on the top of their list, as far as the exits are concerned.

The player, for his part, has no intention to leave Barcelona. He has the backing of Xavi, who believes there is room for improvement and wants to continue fighting for his place in the side next season.

However, the Brazilian’s exit has not been completely ruled out. Barcelona will study any offer if the club believe they need to get rid of more players in order to avoid FFP sanction. So only time will tell whether or not Chelsea can succeed in their pursuit of Raphinha this summer.