Chelsea are not in negotiations to sign Leeds winger Raphinha but there are release clauses in his contract, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Last month, fellow Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari had claimed that the Blues were actively pursuing Raphinha, along with Arsenal and Barcelona. He reported that the Brazilian does have a buyout clause of around €75m (£62.6m) which will be lowered to €25m (£20.9m) if Leeds are relegated.
Romano did confirm the existence of these clauses, but he denied that Chelsea had stepped up their interest in the player, stating that the European champions were only asking for information about his situation:
“It’s not a negotiation, it’s not like they are negotiating with Leeds. The player is focused on Leeds and on the season, also because of relegation and there are a few clauses that could change the price. Chelsea were just informed of the Raphinha situation, they were not negotiating with the player and Leeds.”
Any transfer business will, of course, be put on hold until the club’s ownership situation is resolved, but it is interesting to hear that the Blues have been keeping tabs on Raphinha.
With two sources now confirming the existence of release clauses, there will likely be a scramble for the 25-year-old’s signature this summer.
