Dembele staying at Barcelona gives Chelsea hope over Raphinha pursuit

Chelsea have reportedly received a significant boost in their pursuit of Leeds United winger Raphinha due to Ousmane Dembele’s imminent new contract at Barcelona. 

Thomas Tuchel’s side have been chasing the Brazilian’s signature this summer. However, their chances looked slim when it emerged that the player preferred a move to Camp Nou over Stamford Bridge. 

The Catalans have been negotiating with Leeds over Raphinha’s move for some time. However, the situation now looks to have changed with Dembele close to being handed a new Barca deal. 

According to Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona are close to a full agreement with the Frenchman’s camp, with a few details left to be sorted out. 

If the Catalans secure his signature, they are unlikely to keep up the chase for Raphinha as it is unlikely that they could afford both players given their current financial troubles. 

That means Chelsea are the leading contenders for the Brazilian winger. 

Raphinha was impressive for Leeds last season, despite the club barely managing to secure Premier League survival. 

The 25-year-old made 35 appearances in the English top-flight last term, scoring 11 goals and bagging three assists. 

He joined the Yorkshire outfit in 2020 and has since played 67 games across all competitions, with 17 goals and 12 assists (stats from Transfermarkt). 

However, he will likely not pass up the chance of joining a Champions League club. And Chelsea can give him European football and an opportunity to win trophies. 

The Blues are one of the most successful clubs in England in recent times. They landed the 2021 Champions League title and could be strong contenders for the Premier League this year as they boast some top-class players in their squad.