Chelsea are keen on the idea of signing Barcelona winger Raphinha in the upcoming transfer window.
What’s the latest on Raphinha to Chelsea?
According to SPORT, the Blues and Newcastle United are willing to “open formal negotiations immediately” to prise the Brazilian away from the Nou Camp.
This outlet also revealed that the Catalan Giants would listen to offers of €80m (£70m) as the hierarchy aims to extract the “maximum possible economic return” for the player.
Barcelona may be forced into the sale as the club target sales before 30 June to lower their astronomically high wage bill.
At first, the 26-year-old was reluctant to leave but in recent weeks, a possible departure from Spain is beginning to gather serious momentum.
Would Raphinha be a good signing for Chelsea?
The technician has previously enjoyed an extremely fruitful time in England when he joined Leeds United for a fee in the region of £17m.
The 16-cap international registered 15 goal contributions in 30 Premier League games to become one of Marcelo Bielsa’s most trusted and influential players as Leeds secured an incredible ninth-placed finish in their first top-flight season since 2004.
Then in his second season, the playmaker was still highly productive in an intensely tricky time for Leeds, who just avoided relegation on the final day of the season. He was the club’s top scorer with 11 goals.
His old teammate Dan James was full of praise for Raphinha and said: “He’s a magician. He’s always been a great player. He can do absolutely anything on the pitch. It’s great playing with him."
As a result, the former Rennes man was transferred to Barcelona for £55m and has appeared in 31 of the club’s 33 league games, as the Blaugrana sits 13 points clear at the summit of the table.
The £212k-per-week man has been hugely involved and has been a constant threat from the right flank – this is showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 9% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for total shots, as well as the highest 21% shot-creating actions, according to FBref.
Due to his imperious in his previous stint in the Premier League, Raphinha would represent a relatively low-risk signing for Chelsea, whose attack is painfully lacking some ruthless end-product.
The possibility of Reece James overlapping the mercurial Brazilian is a frightening prospect for any side with the possibility there for whoever Chelsea's new manager is to create one of the most formidable right-hand sides in the division.
Indeed, with Raphinha chopping inside, it would allow Chelsea's right back to rampage towards the byline, making use of his creative prowess to create goal-scoring opportunities for a team who have lacked that throughout this season.
James ranks in the top 4% of positionally similar players in Europe for progressive passes and successful take-ons, with that skillset only set to blossom alongside a player of the Barcelona winger's pedigree.
Although no Champions League football is a stumbling block for the West London outfit, it would be foolish to rule out the big-spending Blues.