Barcelona seem keen to get their summer business done early this year and the latest piece of that puzzle appears to Brazilian winger Raphinha.
Recently becoming a regular in the Brazilian national squads, Raphinha has three goals in his seven Selecao caps. Those have come as a reward for some scintillating form for Leeds United, where he remains one of keys to their survival in the Premier League. Joan Laporta recently stated that Ousmane Dembele had given Barcelona no indication he wanted to stay – should the Raphinha deal go through, he would likely be Dembele’s replacement.
Sport say that Raphinha has agreed personal terms with the Catalans and the way has been cleared for the two clubs to negotiate a fee. Raphinha, whose agent is Deco, is committed to making the move happen and will reject any further offers from other clubs out of hand.
The report also states that Leeds United have already turned down an offer of €35m for the player and as a result, Barcelona are looking into using Oscar Mingueza to cheapen the deal. Raphinha himself is happy to accept a salary that fits the new wage structure at Camp Nou.
