Barcelona closer to complete signing of Rapinha from Leeds

Leeds United and Barcelona are edging closer to a deal for Raphinha amid mounting confidence on all sides that an agreement will be reached for the Brazilian winger.

Positive discussions over the weekend have raised expectations that Raphinha will secure his preferred move to Camp Nou, bringing an end to his two-year stay at Elland Road, per The Athletic.

Leeds want a swift resolution to Raphinha’s future after omitting him from their pre-season tour to Australia.

The 25-year-old was missing from the squad who flew out of England on July 11, left behind as discussions over a move to Barcelona continued.

Barcelona intensified talks with Leeds last week, convincing the Premier League side that a deal was likely enough for Raphinha to sit out of their three-match schedule down under.

Chelsea have had an agreement in place for Raphinha for the past fortnight but the player’s insistence on pursuing a switch to Spain has left the west London club’s interest at a standstill.

Barcelona’s precarious financial position has so far prevented them from matching the terms of Chelsea’s bid, which includes payment of the initial fee — understood to be in the region of £60 million ($71.5 million) — upfront.

Sources at Leeds insist a deal is not yet in place with Barcelona but negotiations over the past 48 hours have seen significant progress.

Leeds intend to step up their interest in Club Bruges’ Charles De Ketelaere when the sale of Raphinha goes through.

De Ketelaere, who Leeds are ready to pay around £30 million for, is the club’s top target as they look to recruit a new forward.