FC Barcelona And Leeds United Set For Decisive Raphinha Transfer Meeting This Week

FC Barcelona and Leeds United will meet this week to discuss the transfer of Brazil international Raphinha.

The 25-year-old is Barca’s top target for the right wing, with its current occupant Ousmane Dembele set to walk as a free agent after June 30 when his five-year contract expires.

According to SPORT, the Blaugrana’s director of football Mateu Alemany will travel to Yorkshire in the coming days and speak to the leaders of the PremierPINC
League club to sound out a potential coup for their Porto Alegre native.

The Catalan daily newspaper says that Alemany’s top objective is to try and get Leeds to lower their asking price from €50mn ($52.5mn) to €40mn ($42mn) plus, if necessary, a player that is surplus to requirements at Camp Nou such as Riqui Puig or Oscar Mingueza.

With Mundo Deportivo separately reporting that Raphinha has issued an ultimatum to Barca to be clear whether they want him or not as he puts other offers on hold, Barca are keen not to delay negotiations with Leeds and wish to have an agreement – if one can be reached – signed and sealed by July 1.

A factor swinging heavily in the favor of the La Liga giants is that Raphinha has his heart set on Barca, with their president Joan Laporta reportedly calling him in recent weeks and informing the player that they will have the financial muscle to land him once their financial ‘levers’ are activated.

Now crunch time is arriving, though, and Barca must make a move soon as the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea, where Dembele might end up soon, linger in the background. They also want to learn what Raphinha’s intentions are so as to get on planning for the upcoming season in less than two months.

Leeds, who beat relegation on the last day of the previous campaign thanks to a Raphinha penalty and assist away at Brentford, need to prepare for life without their star player and are said to be interested in Barca loanee Adama Traore who is soon set to return to owner club Wolverhampton Wanderers.