Reported Chelsea transfer target Raphinha has reportedly had a personal agreement with Barcelona over a summer move, according to Sport.
Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently claimed that the Blues had been in talk with the Leeds United star’s agent before the sanctioning of club owner Roman Abramovich.
The sanctions have forced Chelsea to operate under a special licence which prevents them from offering contracts or signing new players.
The west London club may eventually be able to operate normally in the summer transfer window following the expected change of ownership, but transfer negotiations they had worked on likely came to a halt.
Unfortunately for Chelsea, they are not in the reported race to sign Raphinha, who already racked up nine goals and three assists in the Premier League this season.
Spanish outlet Sport claims that he has personally agreed a five-year deal with Barcelona and would even force a move to Camp Nou in the summer.
He is still under contract with Leeds until 2024, but the report suggests he has turned down the club’s previous extension offers.
Interestingly, Raphinha is represented by D20 Sports, a sports agency company founded by former Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder Deco.
This may help Chelsea restart talks if Barcelona fail to reach an agreement with Leeds.
Leeds have reportedly turned down Barcelona’s first €35million (£29.2m) offer for the in-form winger.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
