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Chelsea’s hopes of signing Leeds United winger Raphinha appear to have been handed a major boost as a result of Ousmane Dembele’s current situation at Barcelona, according to reports.
The Blues have been credited with a strong interest in bringing Raphinha to Stamford Bridge this summer but were previously knocked back when it emerged that his preference would be to join Barcelona instead of sealing a move to west London.
The Catalan giants are said to have been locked in talks with Leeds regarding the services of Raphinha for some time, leaving Chelsea on the brink of missing out on his signature.
However, those in power at Barcelona could decide to pull the plug on their interest in Raphinha if Dembele stays at the club this summer, according to The Mirror.
It is said that Dembele, who has also been linked with Chelsea in recent weeks, is close to extending his stay at the Nou Camp after months of protracted negotiations.
Barcelona are unlikely to keep up the chase for Raphinha if they manage to secure Dembele’s immediate future, though, potentially giving Chelsea a free run at the former over the coming weeks.
However, there is still every chance that Dembele could leave Barcelona on a free transfer in the not-too-distant future, with his proposed new deal at the club still far from certain.
The situation is reportedly being held up by the differing views of Barcelona manager Xavi and sporting director Matheu Alemany, who is adamant on championing a big-money move for Raphinha in spite of Xavi’s insistence on keeping Dembele.
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Barcelona would struggle to financially commit to both players this summer, meaning that it is likely to be either-or when it comes to Raphinha and Dembele in advance of next season.
It remains to be seen whether Chelsea will be able to capitalise on the situation in order to snap up Raphinha, who remains tied down to Leeds until 2024 but is widely expected to leave Elland Road before the new Premier League campaign gets underway.
The player’s agent, Deco, is said to have strong links to those in power at Barcelona from his playing days in Spain and is expected to play a major role in securing his client’s future before the start of next season.
He has already hinted at Raphinha’s desire to move on to bigger and better things than Leeds when quizzed on his potential next destination back in October.
“There are certainly many clubs interested in him,” Deco told Brazilian outlet Globo. “Liverpool do like him and there were some approaches [last summer] but nothing official, Leeds wanted to keep him for another season.
“Raphinha is happy at Leeds, but there will certainly come a time when he wants to take a step up in his career and move forward. He has three years left on his contract but there’s nothing in it that states how long he must stay for or that prevents transfers.
“Leeds are aware of that and will want to sell him for a big sum, while Raphinha will end up progressing in his career.”
