Raphinha's signing, a great battle for Chelsea

Leeds United winger Raphinha is in high demand, and Chelsea look as though they have beaten Arsenal, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign him.

Raphinha was always likely to attract interest this summer, registering 11 goals and three assists in a team that barely avoided relegation, and a move to Chelsea now looks imminent. Leeds had told interested clubs that the Brazilian's asking price would be £60 million, and while the North London clubs were not prepared to meet that fee, Barcelona simply couldn't amid their current financial trouble.

Chelsea have reached a full agreement with Leeds United over a move for Raphinh

a this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Brazilian has been linked with a move away from the Yorkshire club, with plenty of clubs interested.

However, it appears that the Blues are the first team to make a breakthrough in talks with Leeds, with Arsenal the only other side to have tabled a bid so far. The Gunners have been rejected on each occasion though, falling short of the valuation.It’s no surprise that elite clubs have taken an interest in the 25-year-old, who has impressed since moving to England from Stade Rennais back in 2020. 

Last season he scored 11 and assisted three in the Premier League to help his side retain their top flight status.

That form has seen him become a regular for Brazil, making nine appearances for the national team since making his debut in October of last year. This led to the manager, Tite, publicly thanking his then manager, Marcelo Bielsa, for his work: “I publicly thank Bielsa for accompanying and working with Raphinha and all the coaching staff that brought him closer to the national team.”