Chelsea face Arsenal competition to sign €80m ace who rejected CFC last summer

After what can be termed a dismal season for Chelsea, the Blues are expecting the flurry of squad changes to continue this summer as a number of unwanted players are shown the exit door and new quality laden players are signed. Barcelona winger Raphinha appears to be a player on Chelsea’s shortlist.

Last summer, Chelsea were pushing to sign the Brazilian winger and even jumped Arsenal in the race. Barcelona came in with an offer and Raphinha decided to swap Leeds United for the Blaugrana. He later revealed that he rejected Chelsea as Barcelona was his dream move. The 26 year old has 10 goals and 11 assists in 45 games this season but his start to life at Barcelona wasn’t rosy.

He’s come alive in the second half of the season, taking over the protagonist’s role on the right flank as Ousmane Dembele continues to recover from an injury. With Barcelona’s attempts to reduce the wage bill and offload players to comply with La Liga’s financial rules, they will be forced to sell players and generate cash.

Chelsea keen to sign Barcelona winger Raphinha

Raphinha could be one of the players that could leave the Spanish giants but they will only consider a sale if a substantial offer comes in. According to journalist Joaquim Piera, Barca will sell the Brazilian speedster if they receive a bid in the region of €70 million to €80 million.

Chelsea are well stacked at the wings with Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech. However, Ziyech and Pulisic are expected to leave in the summer as CFC themselves look to raise funds before June 30th to avoid violating FFP regulations.

Chelsea are keeping an eye on Barcelona’s Raphinha, who is also courted by other Premier League teams. According to the Spanish publication Sport, the 26 year old would consider leaving Camp Nou at the end of the season and has exciting offers from the Premier League on the table. Chelsea are one of the sides in the race but they face competition from Arsenal and Newcastle United.

With Dembele returning and potential talk of Lionel Messi returning to Barcelona, the Brazilian attacker fears that he will see his game time shrink, so he is willing to consider an exit in the summer.

Raphinha can add flair and pace to the wing, but his arrival could see Sterling operate from the left as the Brazilian is much more lethal on the right flank as compared to the left. For Barcelona, the 26 year old has played 39 games on the right and all 10 goals have come for him from the right flank. With Raphinha in this Chelsea side, the right flank will be dazzling with pace as Raphinha and Reece James fly forward.

Will the Blues sign Raphinha this summer?