It’s been a rough start to the summer for Chelsea fans. Supporters have had to sit idly by and watch their rivals strengthen their respective sides with shiny new signings while the Blues twiddled their thumbs. The takeover already put the club behind the 8-ball due to the sanctions put in place by the United Kingdom government. Chelsea was not allowed to partake in any transfer business until the sanctions were lifted, which did not take place until earlier this month when Todd Boehly and Co. officially took over as the club’s new owners.
Despite the new owners coming through the doors in SW6 a number of weeks ago, the Blues didn’t exactly hit the ground running as many expected them to do. Instead, Boehly turned his focus to solving the season ticket issue, sorting the futures of the board members and selling—or, in this case, loaning out—Romelu Lukaku. As players start returning to Cobham for preseason, the club’s hierarchy (which seemingly consists of Boehly and his jet at this point) has finally hit the ground running. Chelsea is inching closer to making its first signing of the summer.
Chelsea has agreed to sign Brazilian winger Raphinha from Leeds United
The Athletic’s David Ornstein got Blues fans excited on Tuesday evening when he revealed that their club was leading the race for Leeds United’s star winger, Raphinha. Minutes later, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano broke the news that Chelsea had beaten Arsenal and Barcelona to the transfer of the Brazilian international. The Blues reached an official agreement with rival Leeds United on Tuesday as Boehly agreed to pay the Whites’ hefty valuation. The transfer is in its last stages with personal terms between the west London side and the player the only remaining obstacle before a move is made official.
Chelsea is currently negotiating with Raphinha’s agent, but history suggests the talks won’t take too long. The 25-year-old is represented by Deco, who spent two years with the Blues in the late 2000s. Even though the club has spent months flirting with Jules Kounde and the past few weeks courting Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling, it seems as if the Brazilian will be the first signing through the door during this pivotal summer. Reports have stated that there isn’t expected to be any issues with the personal terms agreement. This means that as long as Boehly’s £55 million (the rest of the fee is expected to be paid in potential add-ons) check doesn’t bounce, the Blues will have officially made their first signing of the window.
Raphinha’s impending arrival means multiple things for Chelsea going forward. First, it means that Hakim Ziyech is much more likely to depart in the coming days. AC Milan has explored the possibility of signing the Moroccan over the last few weeks following reports that he handed in a transfer request to the reigning FIFA Club World Cup Champions. Second, this likely puts an end to the Blues’ pursuit of Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele. Unless Boehly and Tuchel are willing to add three new wingers to the team, Raphinha and Sterling’s pursuits spell danger for Dembele’s desired move to the Premier League.
Similar to many of the other reported transfers that Chelsea is said to be making this summer, Raphinha’s addition has resulted in split opinions amongst the fanbase. He’s been a superb talent during the last few seasons at Elland Road, which is a good sign going forward as he looks to continue his Premier League career on the King’s Road. Furthermore, it seems as if Tuchel was determined to bring him to Stamford Bridge, which means Raphinha also becomes the German’s first “real” signing (Lukaku was revealed to be more of a board addition) since taking over as manager in January of 2021. Big things lie ahead for the Blues, Raphinha is only the beginning.
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