Chelsea have been linked to the move for the Barcelona winger Raphinha at the end of the season.
According to a report from the Spanish publication Sport, Chelsea have now expressed their interest to sign the Brazilian winger at the end of the season.
Raphinha joined Barcelona for a fee of around £55 million at the start of the season, but things have not gone according to plan for him. The Brazilian has impressed from time to time but he has been quite inconsistent and has faced a lot of criticism from the Spanish media and the Barcelona fans.
It will be interesting to see if Barcelona are willing to cash in on the player at the end of the season. Barcelona would have expected more than nine goals and nine assists across all competitions when they spent £55 million on the 26-year-old winger.
Chelsea are looking to add more quality in the wide areas and they have identified the former Leeds United player as a target.
The Blues recently invested in Mykhaylo Mudryk and Noni Madueke to add more quality and depth in the wide areas and spending big money on another winger would be a surprising move, especially when the club is in need of a reliable goalscorer now. Chelsea need someone who can put the ball in the back of the net consistently, and they should look to invest in a top-class striker this summer.
Raphinha played his best football in the Premier League with Leeds United, and a return to England could be ideal for him.
Chelsea are certainly an attractive destination, and it remains to be seen how the situation develops.
Barcelona will probably hope to recoup most of what they paid for the Brazilian international, and it will be interesting to see if Chelsea are willing to pay up.