"I felt ashamed" - Club owner says he went back on his word to sell 'special player' to Chelsea
Chelsea came very close to signing Brazilian winger Raphinha from Leeds United this summer. However, the player eventually snubbed the Blues in favor of a Barcelona switch in a deal for €58 million plus add-ons.
Following the development, Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani has admitted that he felt bad that he couldn't sell the attacker to the Premier League giants.
Fans expected to see Raphinha at Stamford Bridge this season as multiple reports claimed that the player was on his way to London. However, Barcelona came in in the dying moments and managed to convince the player to switch to Camp Nou instead.
Barcelona to hijack Chelsea's Raphinha deal at the last minute.
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Reflecting on what happened, Andrea Radrizzani has confirmed that there was indeed an agreement in place between Leeds United and Chelsea for the player's transfer. The Italian explained that he was ashamed to approach Blues' new owner Todd Boehly to inform him of the twist after the deal collapsed.
Radrizzani told The Athletic:
“For me, it was done, the deal with Chelsea. My word is my word and I felt ashamed to go back to Todd Boehly, the owner of Chelsea and change the position. For me, it was really disrespectful and not the right thing to do. But I didn’t have a choice."
Raphinha became a sensation following his impressive outing with Leeds United last season. He bagged 11 goals and three assists in 35 Premier League appearances to help the Peacocks escape relegation.
Laporta: "Raphinha had better economic offers elsewhere, but he decided to sign for us."
Radrizzani has hailed the Brazilian as a special player who can become one of the best in the world while discussing the decision to let him leave the club this summer. He said:
"Raphinha is a special player. Honestly, I think with a good World Cup he can become one of the top 20 players in the world. Why keep him in a cage?"
A look at Chelsea's signings this summer
The Blues made Raheem Sterling their first major signing of the transfer window, paying Manchester City €56 million to part ways with the attacker. This was followed by the acquisition of Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli in a transfer worth €38 million.
Chelsea have signed Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa for €17 million while Gabriel Slonina has also arrived from the MLS for €9 million. It remains to be seen what impact the new arrivals will have when the Blues face Everton on Saturday (August 6).