Raphinha Makes "Dream" Move To Barcelona In Record-Breaking Transfer From Leeds United

Raphinha was in Barcelona on Wednesday to complete his "dream" transfer from Leeds United after the two clubs agreed a deal.

As reported by The Athletic, Barcelona will pay Leeds a fee of £50 million with a possible further £5m in add-ons.

The 25-year-old was seen wearing Barca training kit on Wednesday after flying in to put pen to paper.

Raphinha's departure from Elland Road came just days after midfielder Kalvin Phillips left for Manchester City.

Phillips became the most expensive export in Leeds history with a transfer fee of £45m but the sale of Raphinha will smash that record.

Leeds had been reluctant to lose Raphinha, who scored 17 goals and provided 12 assists in two Premier League seasons after arriving from Rennes in 2020.

But a departure looked inevitable due to the volume of interest from bigger clubs.

Arsenal were the first to make a bid, followed by Chelsea. But Raphinha had his heart set on a move to the Camp Nou.

Raphinha likely would have cost Barcelona much less had Leeds been relegated from the Premier League last season.

Raphinha pictured in a Barcelona polo shirt after arriving from Leeds United

Instagram/@fcbarcelona

But he played a starring role in their successful survival bid.

Leeds manager Jesse Marsch told the Yorkshire Evening Post earlier this week: "As much as it's really hard to lose Raphinha I will say this about him – if you think about a young man, who was pretty much guaranteed to go on a reduced transfer fee 100 per cent to Barcelona if we were relegated and then you watch the performances and the commitment he had to making sure that the club was going to stay up.

"I think it'd be hard for any, you know, 23, 24-year-old person with that kind of pressure and that kind of opportunity to perform the way that he did.

"And we are so thankful - I had that very clear conversation with him that a big part for me of us, considering to move him was the fact that he was so committed, that it made it easy for us to be very connected with what his goals in life and in his career are. So I'm hopeful for his sake, as much as it's hard to see him leave. I'm hopeful for him to get this deal done because I know it's his dream to play for Barcelona."