FC Barcelona Announce Raphinha Signing From Leeds United

FC Barcelona have announced the signing of Raphinha from Leeds United.

News of an agreement in principle for the Brazil international was revealed on Barca’s social media accounts and official website on Wednesday afternoon, and the player now needs to complete a medical and sign his contract to make his move official.

Barca did not give any details as per transfer fees that will be paid for the 25-year-old, but the signing is said to involve a €58m fixed fee which could rise to €68m with add-ons.

Barca described Raphinha, who is likely to head to the Qatar 2022 World Cup with Brazil, as a winger “who is excellent in one on ones” with “taking on defenders being a key part of his game”.

Now the deal appears to have been completed, Raphinha is FC Barcelona and first team coach Xavi Hernandez’s maiden marquee signing of the summer after Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen were picked up on free transfers.

Other targets in the current market include Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, and Barca have recently been buoyed by activating economic ‘levers’ that have allowed them to purchase Raphinha despite being mired in debts circling $1.5 billion.

After weeks of deliberating and waiting on the outcome of Ousmane Dembele’s contract renewal saga, Barca finally made a formal offer to Leeds United for Raphinha which was accepted by the Yorkshire club.

The Porto Alegre native can now join the Blaugrana on their preseason tour of the United States, which will take in friendlies against the likes of Inter Miami, Real Madrid and Juventus.

Raphinha’s arrival had long been tipped to complicate matters for Ousmane Dembele, who became a free agent after June 30.

Yet it is said that there is a desire to have both men in Xavi Hernandez’s first team, and the Frenchman now looks set to stay at the Camp Nou after all while spotted in the dressing room with his teammates on Tuesday afternoon.

Dembele will pen a two-year contract at Camp Nou, which will see him fall in the same pay bracket as teenage wonderkids Ansu Fati and Pedri who currently take home something in the region of €6-7mn ($6.1-7.1mn) per season.