Barcelona is close to resolving the deal to replace Frenchman Ousmane Dembele from the English Premier League after fierce competition with Chelsea and Arsenal.
Barcelona is seeking to strengthen its offensive line after Dembele’s agents refused to renew the contract due to financial disputes, and it seems that the Brazilian winger Rafinha, the Leeds United player, is the most prominent candidate to compensate for Dembele’s departure.
The name Rafinha was associated with leaving Leeds United this summer, after the good levels that the Brazilian player provided during the past two seasons.
According to what was published by the Spanish newspaper “Sport”, Deco arrived in Barcelona to negotiate with the Catalan club regarding the transfer of his client, Rafinha, from Leeds United to the Blaugrana.
The newspaper hinted that Barcelona wanted to sign Rafinha for 5 seasons, but it is believed that the deal depends on the future of Ousmane Dembele.
Dembele’s contract with Barcelona expires at the end of this season, but the Frenchman can still stay in the “Camp Nou”, and Dembele’s stay excludes the possibility of Barcelona joining Rafinha.
And the Catalan newspaper reported, that the Brazilian Rafinha, the Leeds United star, had rejected tempting offers from London clubs in order to move to this summer.
The newspaper pointed out that Arsenal and Chelsea had already made tempting offers to sign Rafinha, but the latter rejected all of them in order to fulfill his dream of moving to the Camp Nou.
And the newspaper said, that Rafinha is not looking for money, he only wants to play in the Barcelona shirt in the new season.
Rafinha joined Leeds United in the summer of 2020 and established himself as one of the most decisive players in the Premier League.
The famous Catalan journalist, Gerard Romero, revealed new details today regarding the Brazilian’s transfer to the Catalan club.
Romero indicated that Matteo Alemani, Barcelona’s sporting director, and Rafinha’s Portuguese agent, Deco, have been in the club’s corridors since this morning, stressing that the deal may take place in the coming hours.
English press reports have confirmed that Chelsea and Arsenal are competing with Barcelona for the services of the Brazilian wing.
It is worth noting that Rafinha’s contract with Leeds United will expire in the summer of 2024, and he participated in the last season with the team 36 games, and succeeded in scoring 11 goals, and making three others.