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Barcelona could be about to make their first major signing of the summer transfer window after months of speculation regarding players who could be arriving at the Camp Nou.
The Catalan giants “are about to close” a €60 million deal for Leeds United winger Raphina, as reported by journalist Gerard Romero. The Brazilian has agreed a salary of €6m net per season.
Barcelona’s financial problems have been well-documented and have affected their transfer activities. They also appear a factor in this deal with Romero adding Barca will pay for the transfer in “in three installments.”
The Catalans had agreed personal terms with Raphinha back in May but looked set to miss out on the winger when Premier League side Chelsea tabled an offer for the 25-year-old.
However, Raphinha’s priority was always to move to Barcelona, and his agent Deco managed to persuade the attacker to delay his transfer decision until Xavi’s side found a way to finance the deal, as reported by Marca.
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Raphinha To Replace Dembele?
Raphinha could be about to replace Ousmane Dembele at Barcelona. The Frenchman is now technically a free agent after his contract with the Catalan giants expired at the end of June.
Dembele could still re-sign with Xavi’s side but there seems little sign of progress currently. The forward has not been happy with the contract offer he has received from Barcelona but does not appear to have many other options.
Barcelona offered a “€6 million base salary” but Dembele was hoping for double that amount, according to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs. The 25-year-old hasn’t actually rejected the offer but it may be withdrawn shortly if there is still no response.
Jacobs adds that Chelsea will not match Dembele’s wage demands either, while Paris Saint-Germain’s interest “has cooled.” Liverpool and Bayern Munich are not thought to be interested in trying to sign Dembele either.
Barcelona Set For Second Financial Boost
Barcelona’s ability to try and bring in players during the summer window has been boosted by an agreement to sell 10% of the club’s La Liga television rights to investment firm Sixth Street for €207.5 million.
Another cash injection may be about to follow. Barcelona also want to sell a further 15% of their television rights for a fee in the region of €330m and €400m, as reported by Diario Sport.
The Barcelona board has also been authorized to sell 49.9% of Barça Licensing & Merchandising (BLM) and a minority stake in Barça Studios which would provide another significant cash injection.
The finances are needed if Barcelona are to rebuild their squad this summer ahead of the new season, although it is thought that player sales will also be needed, particularly to reduce the wage bill.
Midfielder Frenkie de Jong continues to be linked with a move away despite saying he wants to stay. Manchester United have agreed a deal worth €85m to sign the Dutchman, as reported by The Guardian.
However, the Red Devils must still convince De Jong to make the move. The Dutchman is currently on holiday and is not due back for pre-season training with Barcelona until July 11.
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