Chelsea have been told what it will take to sign a star from Barcelona in 2024 as the La Liga outfit have set their asking price, according to reports.
Things have slowly been falling into place for Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge as performance levels have been improving in recent weeks.
Cole Palmer has proven himself to be an excellent addition so far and Chelsea are already exploring the market for some extra attacking options.
It recently came to light that Barcelona could be prepared to cash in on Raphinha. The former Leeds United winger enjoyed a successful debut season in Spain, but he has fallen down the pecking order of late.
Chelsea have tried to sign the 26-year-old in the past and they have been one of the clubs tipped to resurface their interest in the 26-year-old.
As a result of injuries and Lamine Yamal making an impression in the first team, Raphinha has only played 276 minutes in La Liga this season and the club is considering cashing in.
Barcelona spent a reported £55m on Raphinha in the summer of 2022 and they are now considering selling the Brazilian star if he is not able to regain his spot in the starting XI.
According to Football Transfers, Barcelona have set their asking price at €70m (£60.9m) which certainly isn’t cheap. He is under contract until 2027 so Barcelona are in a strong position to dictate his future.
Plenty of clubs are interested
While Chelsea’s interest in the 26-year-old has been well-documented, they are not alone in their interest. Premier League rivals Arsenal and Newcastle have also been linked with Raphinha in the past.
The Gunners tried to sign the winger while he was at Leeds, but Barcelona managed to leapfrog them in the race. With his career in Spain now in doubt, Arsenal could resurface their interest.
Arsenal already have a Brazilian core in their dressing room with the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes, but it remains to be seen if they would be willing to splash £60m on the Barcelona star.
Eddie Howe’s side have also been linked with the winger, although they will be primarily focused on signing a new holding midfielder in January rather than a winger.
Raphinha could yet regain his spot in the Barcelona starting XI, but it currently seems as if the Catalan club are open to the idea of selling him in 2024.
There’s no doubting the 26-year-old’s ability and even in the limited minutes he has played this season, he has made a difference. He has chipped in with four goal contributions across all competitions this season and Premier League clubs will be keeping a close eye on his situation.
But he is more interested in Chelsea move, and will accept any offer from the premier league club
About The Author
