Chelsea 'rekindle Raphinha interest' after failed pursuit last summer
Chelsea ‘rekindle their interest in Raphinha’ after their failed pursuit last summer with the Brazilian struggling to live up to his £56m price tag at Barcelona – but could fall short AGAIN as the winger ‘does NOT want to leave’
- Chelsea had been pursuing Raphinha since January 2022 before Barca swooped
- Despite his high price tag, the Brazilian has failed to dazzle in his debut season
- West London club may be planning a raid, with Gavi also firmly in their sights
Barcelona’s Raphinha has once again found himself in Chelsea’s sights, less than a year after the player snubbed the west London club’s offer in favour of joining Xavi’s side, according to reports.
The winger moved to Catalonia for a fee of £56million over the summer after he attracted persistent interest from Premier League outfit, but is believed to have failed to deliver on his high price tag after scoring only nine times in 40 appearances for the Blaugrana.
Chelsea had been tracking the then-Leeds player since January 2022, but their offer – side to be higher than Barcelona’s – was rejected as Raphina sought to emulate his childhood hero Ronaldinho in LaLiga.
Offloading players will be a priority for the Catalan club during this summer’s transfer window as they attempt to slash their wage bill.
Barcelona must raise £178m before they can sign new players, but as per Diario Sport, Raphinha is happy and settled in the side, content with the backing of his manager as he looks to find consistency in his game.
Raphinha has attracted the interest of Chelsea after spurning their advances last year
The Brazilian was one of several Chelsea targets eyed by Todd Boehly who picked Barca
Should Barcelona earmark the Brazilian, who is managed by Barca legend Deco, for sale during the upcoming transfer window, his would not a high priority sale, who are at present said to be focused on selling players such as Ferran Torres.
Snapping up Raphinha is only one of the ways that Chelsea may be looking to capitalise on the financial straits of the LaLiga leaders, with the Blues targeting a bid for prodigal midfielder Gavi.
The teenager has not been able to be registered his most recent contract, which was signed in September 2022, with his current club due financial contracts, and has reverted to a youth team contract.
Gavi could go for nothing in the summer after his contract couldn’t be registered with LaLiga
Should Barcelona fail to overturn the situation, the regular first-team starter could be available for nothing as a free agent.
By contrast, the negated contract contained a £879m release clause (€1billion) due to the club’s unwillingness to let him slip through their fingers.
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