Deco wants Barcelona star Raphinha to join a Premier League club in the summer amid interest from Chelsea.
According to the Sport via SportWitness, Chelsea are keen on having Raphinha in their ranks ahead of next season. The 26-year-old winger’s agent Deco wants him to join a Premier League club in the summer. Meanwhile, the Blues have been interested in the Brazil international for a few years now, and they are likely to push for him again in the upcoming window.
Raphinha came into the limelight on the back of impressive performances for Leeds United. His performances resulted in a lot of attention from across Europe. Even Chelsea were keen on having him in the ranks, and they made a €73 million bid for the 26-year-old.
However, Barcelona managed to win the battle for his services with a bid of just €58 million. Despite making a much better offer, the Blues failed to land the Brazil international as he chose Barcelona over Chelsea.
In his very first season at Barcelona, Raphinha has been involved in 45 matches and has 21 goal contributions. Despite having a decent first season at the club, the 26-year-old could be subject to a move because of the ongoing financial crisis.
The Catalan giants need to raise a significant amount in order to balance their books. And, Raphinha’s departure can surely help their cause. Barcelona want him to accept one of the bids and move on. Even his agent Deco has asked him to listen to offers from the Premier League.
The Blues want to further strengthen their squad ahead of next season. They have been disappointing so far despite spending a fortune on new players. And, Chelsea will hope to revive themselves with a few reinforcements.
Signing a new forward is one of their priorities and they are willing to go all out for Raphinha. They wanted to sign the 26-year-old a year ago but failed to get it over the line. However, they are willing to go at it once again.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are looking to close Raphinha’s sale before June 30th as it will help them register Gavi and push for new signings. They will only listen to offers of around €80 million. And, it will be interesting to see if Chelsea are willing to spend that big an amount on the 26-year-old.
