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Former Barcelona legend Ronaldinho wants his former club to sign Leeds United forward Raphinha.
The 25-year-old has been one of the most sought-after players in the ongoing transfer window, with Barcelona, Chelsea and Arsenal linked with him. He rose to fame with his agile dribbling and clinical finishing at Elland Road in the last two seasons.
Acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently claimed that Chelsea had struck a deal in the region of £60 million to sign the forward. The Blues even went on to open talks with Raphinha over personal terms. However, journalist Gerard Romero later reported that the Blaugrana are trying to hijack the deal.
Speaking on Raphinha's recent transfer rumours, Ronaldinho, as quoted by journalist Miquel Blazquez, said:
"I would very much like Raphinha to sign for Barça. He has a lot of quality and would fit very well."
Earlier this week, SPORT reported that Raphinha has asked his agent Deco to halt Chelsea's pursuit of him, saying that his heart is set on a move to Spain.
Raphinha, who has two years left on his current deal, helped Leeds avoid relegation last season, scoring 11 goals and providing three assists in 35 league outings.
Barcelona hope to sign Robert Lewandowski this summer
Aiming to bolster their squad ahead of the 2022-23 season, the Blaugrana are in the market for multiple forwards. Apart from Raphinha, the club are also monitoring Bayern Munich talisman Robert Lewandowski, who has expressed a desire to leave Germany.
According to Bild, Bayern have rejected the La Liga club's €40 million, plus add-ons, bid for the striker. The Bavarian giants are not keen on selling the Poland international for a fee below €50 million.
Blaugrana president Joan Laporta said (via Fabrizio Romano):
"Robert Lewandowski is FC Bayern player, and I prefer to keep this situation quiet. We’re really happy that he wants to join Barça. We just want to say thanks to him, as he wants to come to Barça."
Meanwhile, Laporta has also confirmed that midfielder Franck Kessie and defender Andreas Christensen are set to be announced as Barcelona players later this week. Romano has reported that the Blaugrana are also holding talks to offer winger Ousmane Dembele a new two-year contract.
