Chelsea have offered Raphinha a contract worth £120,000-per-week and ‘the next 48 hours are key’ in the Stamford Bridge outfit’s pursuit of the Leeds United star, according to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs....CONTINUE READING
The Blues are hoping to wrap up the first signing since a Todd Boehly-led consortium completed a £4.25billion takeover in May.
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What’s the latest news involving Raphinha?
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed Chelsea have reached an agreement with Leeds after lodging a bid worth up to £65million, including add-ons, for Raphinha.
The west Londoners have speedily sent an official proposal to the Brazilian and his agent, Deco, as Boehly is looking to fight off competition by sealing the winger’s arrival as quickly as possible.
However, Barcelona are making an 11th hour attempt to hijack the deal and it is understood that Raphinha has had his heart set on moving to the Nou Camp rather than Stamford Bridge.
It comes after Arsenal failed in their attempts to land the 25-year-old as their proposal fell short of Leeds’ valuation.
With Raphinha entering the final two years of his £63,000-per-week Leeds contract and the Yorkshire giants anticipating he will no longer sign a new deal, the Whites are open to sanctioning his departure.
What has Ben Jacobs said about Raphinha?
Jacobs understands Chelsea have offered a contract which, if accepted, would see Raphinha nearly double his current salary at Leeds.
However, the journalist feels the next two days are pivotal as Blues boss Thomas Tuchel looks to draft the nine-cap Brazil international into his squad ahead of the upcoming campaign.
Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT: “I think the next 48 hours are key because Chelsea are now in direct talks to try and agree personal terms and they’ve put a five-year deal on the table at around £120,000-a-week.
“There are two tactics here because Chelsea have got an agreement with Leeds United but not Raphinha, whereas Barcelona have got personal terms with Raphinha that date all the way back to mid-March but they’ve not agreed a fee with Leeds United and they cannot get the cash injection to match Chelsea’s offer to Leeds United.”
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What would Raphinha add to Chelsea’s squad?
Raphinha would give Chelsea a new attacking dimension and, having notched 56 senior goals over the course of his club career, the Blues would become an even more formidable force.
According to WhoScored, Raphinha boasted an average match rating of 6.97 during the 2021/22 campaign, which is no mean feat considering he was competing in a Leeds side battling against relegation.
Statistics show he averaged more goals per 90 minutes than Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi last season, while he also made more tackles than Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic.
