Barcelona star Raphinha claims he rejected many offers that were ‘better economically’ to sign for the Blaugrana against interest from Arsenal and Chelsea while still at Leeds United.
The Brazilian was in high demand among the top Premier League clubs after carrying Leeds to safety last season. Raphinha was the Whites’ talisman throughout a term they fought to avoid relegation, netting 11 goals and assisting a further three times over 35 appearances.
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But Barcelona won the race for Raphinha earlier this month after agreeing to pay Leeds an initial £49m. The 25-year-old could cost the Camp Nou natives a further £6m in add-ons, as well, over the course of a five-year contract in Catalunya to improve Xavi Hernandez’s side.
Leeds had expected that Barcelona would fail in their bid to sign Raphinha, against interest from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, per The Athletic. The Gunners also started pursuing his signature in confidence after marking Raphinha as a priority target, and offered £35m.
Yet the Emirates Stadium outfit’s offer fell well below the Whites’ asking price and Chelsea moved into a strong position. The Athletic noted that the Blues told Leeds they were ready to spend £55m. But Raphinha’s dream to play for Barcelona ultimately saw them miss out.
Raphinha rejected ‘better economically’ offers for Barcelona amid Arsenal links
Now, Raphinha has confirmed that he received lucrative offers to quit Leeds before joining Barcelona. Yet the La Liga giants’ pull ensured he was prepared to forgo the potential cash offered, and always made it clear to those interested that he wanted to join the Blaugrana.
“I had many offers and they were all better economically,” Raphinha said, as quoted by the Yorkshire Evening Post. “But I always made it clear to everyone that my desire was to play for Barca. It was my dream since I was a child.”
Barcelona offered Raphinha a €6m-a-season (£97.5k-a/w) net wage to sign with Xavi’s side from Leeds, per Gerard Romero. He had stood to earn around £120k-a-week with Chelsea, per the Evening Standard, showing the scale of cash that the forward has left on the table.
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