Raphinha to Chelsea transfer ‘one step away’ as winger’s wages at Stamford Bridge emerge

Chelsea's 2022-23 Premier League fixtures

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Raphinha’s prospective transfer to Chelsea is reportedly one step away after it emerged the west London giants have offered the winger a deal worth £115,000 a week, which will net him roughly £6million a year. The Leeds ace has been in scintillating form since moving to the Premier League two years ago and has been tipped to turn his back on the Whites and embark on a new challenge this summer.

Leeds snapped Raphinha up for just £17m from Rennes at the start of their first campaign back in the top flight in 2020. And the 25-year-old has adapted to life in England by illustrating his prodigious talents against some of the best defenders in the world.

During his maiden campaign at Elland Road, the Brazil international scored six goals and provided nine assists for his side. And last season, he found the back of the net 11 times and turned provider on three occasions as Leeds avoided relegation to the Championship by beating Brentford on the final day of the season.

Raphinha had been tipped to move to Barcelona this summer, while the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool have also been linked with him. But, according to TuttoMercatoWeb, the personal terms Chelsea have offered the talented player are higher than all the other offers he has received so far. And an agreement is close.

On Tuesday, The Athletic reported that the Blues had agreed to pay Leeds more than £55m in exchange for Raphinha, a fee Barcelona can’t afford and Arsenal are unwilling to match. So if the star is happy with Chelsea’s financial package, he could well be heading to Stamford Bridge in the coming days.

Chelsea had been banned from signing any new players during Roman Abramovich’s final few months in charge of the club after the Russian oligarch was sanctioned in light of his country’s Ukraine invasion. But restrictions have now been lifted and, according to The Telegraph, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel has been handed £200m to sign six players this summer.

“The key is to basically work with Tuchel to come up with the best players that are available,” a senior Chelsea source told the publication last week. “We really want to make sure we have a good defence. We’ve got depth in midfield. We’re not desperate for an out-and-out striker.

“Fortunately, there’s reasonable opportunities in the market right now in order to satisfy the fans’ desire to be competitive. I think it’s a combination of moves and there’s five or six that we’re going to look to make.”

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