Chelsea deal for Raphinha in crisis as Barcelona ‘new bid’ sees star make request

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Chelsea’s attempts to sign Leeds star Raphinha have hit a huge stumbling block as Barcelona have reportedly made a fresh offer for the player. Raphinha is also reported to have requested more time to be given to Barca in order for them to raise the money Leeds want for his signature.

Chelsea agreed a deal with the Yorkshire-based club earlier this week in excess of £55million. The Blues are yet to thrash out personal terms with the 25-year-old.

Barca have had an agreement on personal terms for several months. However, until now, their financial situation has meant a deal was unlikely.

But transfer expert Fabrizio Romano says Barca made a new offer to Leeds on Wednesday evening following talks with the player’s agent Deco. The offer does not match Leeds’ valuation yet, who still want a £60m package, but it is clear Barca are still interested in bringing the Brazilian to the Camp Nou.

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Romano tweeted: “Excl: Barcelona contacted Leeds yesterday night to submit new bid for Raphinha, following talks with Deco. Barca verbal proposal does not fulfill Leeds request, yet. #Raphinha

“Leeds insist on respecting the agreement with Chelsea for £60m. It’s still open on player side.”

Meanwhile, fellow transfer reporter Gianluigi Longari says Barca are convinced they can beat Chelsea to Raphinha. And the player has requested more time be given to Barca in order for them to raise the funds needed.

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Longari says Leeds want an initial £51m plus a further £8.6m in add-ons. Longari tweeted: “Raphinha despite the proposal of #Chelsea #Barcelona are convinced of being able to hijack the transfer. Raphinha has granted time to #Barca in order to introduce the final proposal to #Leeds (€60M +€10M) #LUFC.”

Arsenal are also interested in signing Raphinha and have seen an offer turned down by Leeds in recent weeks. However, Chelsea moved ahead of their London rivals in the race for the player earlier this week by agreeing a fee.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is keen on strengthening his attacking options and Raphinha is one of his main targets. Manchester City star Raheem Sterling is also a target for the Stamford Bridge club, with his contract at the Etihad expiring at the end of next season.

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