Barcelona agree 5-year deal to sign Brazilian attacker: Reports
Barcelona have reached an agreement with Leeds United star Raphinha over a summer move to Camp Nou, according to Catalonian newspaper SPORT.
With Ousmane Dembele yet to extend his contract and likely to leave for free at the end of the season, Blaugrana are on the hunt for a new winger ahead of the summer. Ajax forward Antony has been linked with a move to Camp Nou, but Leeds' Raphinha appears to be their first-choice target.
The attacker's agent Deco used to ply his trade for Barcelona and maintains a good relationship with the club. The La Liga giants have been in talks with the 25-year-old since his agent reportedly proposed him to their hierarchy.
According to the aforementioned source, Barcelona and Raphinha have now reached an agreement over a five-year deal. Xavi's side have sorted out the terms regarding the salary and the contract with the Brazil international.
Acuerdo entre el Barça y Raphinha, según explica @joaquimpiera. El club blaugrana cierra los términos salariales con el extremo del Leeds, contrato por 5 temporadas.
As per the report, Raphinha is happy to accept a contract that is in line with the club's new remuneration policy. He will take a modest salary at Camp Nou to help Blaugrana deal with their financial issues, but will have the chance to boost his earnings through bonuses.
Raphinha also has interest from the likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich ahead of the summer. However, he will reportedly reject any other offer that comes his way to join Barcelona instead.
The Brazilian will do everything he can to secure a transfer to the Catalan outfit ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, according to the report. He will even try to persuade Leeds to accept Barcelona's second offer for him.
Leeds have already rejected an offer of €35 million from Blaugrana for Raphinha. Xavi's side, though, have been tipped to return to the negotiating table with an improved offer for the attacker.
Barcelona could use 22-year-old as bargaining chip in talks with Leeds
The La Liga giants could use Oscar Mingueza as a bargaining chip in their talks with Leeds. According to SPORT, Jesse Marsch's side have expressed an interest in the 22-year-old defender.
Oscar Mingueza could be the key for the signing of Raphinha. Leeds want to sign the Spanish defender.
— @sport https://t.co/300PJJwr2v
Mingueza has made 22 appearances across all competitions for the Camp Nou outfit this season. However, he has fallen down the pecking order since Xavi replaced Ronald Koeman in November.
The centre-back had offers to join Valencia and Bordeaux on loan in the winter transfer window. Mingueza, though, opted to stay with the Catalan outfit.
However, he could be open to a move away from Camp Nou in the summer. It remains to be seen if he would be interested in a transfer to Leeds should the Premier League club step up their interest in him.