Chelsea in talks to sign €75m Barcelona target

Barcelona are believed to be considering a move for a new forward this summer, but signing one of their targets could be tricky as other clubs have appeared to move ahead of them in recent weeks.

Barcelona sporting director Deco is believed to be keen to address the first team’s left wing options in the summer transfer window. Raphinha has been in sensational form there this season, but with no obvious backup, there is scope for a new addition to be brought in before the start of next season.

Luis Diaz, who has been Deco’s preferred option, looks set to stay at Liverpool, which means that other names must be considered. And one of those is said to be the favourite of Barcelona president Joan Laporta.

That player is Rafael Leao, and while he would be a very good addition to the Barcelona squad, it is far from certain that the Portugal international will make the move to Catalonia – that is because Chelsea and Arsenal are also in the race, and according to CaughtOffside, talks are already underway with the former.

Chelsea are ahead at the moment, but Arsenal are monitoring Leao as an alternative to Athletic Club’s Nico Williams, who is their preferred target for the left wing. Barcelona will be in a similar boat to their fellow beaten Champions League semi-finalists, and it is unclear when they will be able to decide on a possible summer pursuit.

Milan are believed to be open to selling Leao for a fee in the region of €75m, which Chelsea are willing to pay. On the other hand, Barcelona will need to make significant sales before being able to afford that price, given their well-documented financial problems.