Barcelona are reportedly ready to increase their offer up to €50 million for Raphinha as they look to lure the Brazilian away from Leeds United.
According to SPORT, Barcelona are prepared to raise their offer for Leeds United winger Raphinha to €50 million as they look to capture the Brazilian’s signing in the summer transfer window.
Barcelona are on the hunt for the 25-year-old as they prepare for the imminent departure of Ousmane Dembele. The Frenchman is in the final three months of his contract with the Catalan giants and looks set to leave the club on a free transfer in the summer, even though reports claim that the Blaugrana are planning to reopen fresh contract talks with him.
Raphinha has emerged as the priority target for Barcelona to replace Dembele before next season. The Brazilian has been a revelation since signing for Leeds United in the summer of 2020 from Rennes. He quickly became a key member of the team at Elland Road and has been one of their best performers over the past 20 months or so.
Despite the Whites’ struggles this season, Raphinha has enjoyed a solid season on a personal level, catching the eye of several top clubs across Europe, including Barcelona.
Clarification on Raphinha. There will be no €75m release clause available in Premier League this summer – the only valid clause will be for 25m in case of relegation. ??? #LUFC
Barça are in advanced talks on personal terms with his agent Deco but there’s still no bid to Leeds. pic.twitter.com/uhFsPJejZp
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 29, 2022
Barcelona have already made headway in their pursuit of Raphinha, having agreed personal terms with the winger, thanks to their healthy relationship with his agent, Deco. However, negotiations with Leeds United are proving to be tricky for the La Liga heavyweights.
Barcelona had made an offer of around €35 million for Raphinha, which the Premier League outfit knocked back immediately. The Blaugrana are now ready to increase their bid for the 25-year-old winger to up to €50 million, of which €40 million would be a fixed fee and the remaining €10 million in variables.
It remains to be seen whether Leeds United find these terms for their prized asset acceptable or hold out for a bigger sum. There is a chance that they might end up with a much lower fee for Raphinha, as he is believed to have a release clause worth just €25 million, which will trigger if Jesse Marsch’s side end up getting relegated.
