Chelsea are still keen to sign Barcelona winger Raphinha after they missed out on him before he moved to Spain, according to journalist Simon Phillips.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Phillips said that a potential move for the Brazilian winger is “for sure” one to keep an eye on, despite the fact that he sealed his dream move to Barcelona last summer from Leeds United for a reported fee of £55m.
The Blues were heavily interested in signing Raphinha last year, and they were very close to sealing a deal for the South American. In fact, the Whites majority shareholder, Andrea Radrizzani later admitted that he was ashamed to go back to Todd Bohely after changing his stance as he had already given his word.
The 26-year-old, who played a massive role in helping Leeds avoid relegation, was determined to join Barcelona, and eventually, his dream came true. However, Phillips suggests that Chelsea are still eyeing a move for Raphinha ahead of the summer:
“Yeah, this is one to watch for sure. I was told months ago that Chelsea were still keeping tabs on Raphinha, even after he joined Barcelona,” said Phillips to Give Me Sport.
“He was fairly close to joining Chelsea at one point before Barcelona came in. Many at Chelsea still like him. Obviously, he chose Barcelona, they were his dream and he made that pretty clear publicly as well, but Chelsea have still been there.”
Unlikely
After initial teething problems of settling down at a new club, Raphinha has been dazzling under Xavi Hernandez. He has scored seven goals and provided seven assists in all competitions so far, and it does not come as a surprise that the Blues still want him at Stamford Bridge.
Barcelona’s perilous financial condition is well documented and Chelsea might take full advantage of it. Raphinha is valued at £44m by Transfermarkt, but Chelsea could come up with a tempting bid forcing the Catalan giants to cash in on him.
The Brazilian is a technically gifted winger who has got Premier League experience and he would be a fantastic addition to the Blues if they can secure a deal this summer.
At the same time, Raphinha is well-settled in Spain and he is on course to winning his first league title with the Blaugrana. He has got no reason to move elsewhere and Barcelona probably would do everything to keep him at the club.
Chelsea are likely to be active in the transfer market once again next summer but their transfer plans could be severely affected if they can’t secure Champions League football next season. The Blues are 10th in the Premier League table, and they are highly unlikely to secure a top-four finish.
