Chelsea 'still in' for 'world-class' £55m star at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea are still waiting on a final decision from Leeds and Brazil winger Raphinha, with the winger exploring the possibility of a move to Stamford Bridge, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The 25-year-old has been linked with a move away from Elland Road throughout the summer.

The Athletic have reported that Chelsea are interested in bringing Raphinha to Stamford Bridge for a fee rumoured to be north of £55m.

The same report suggests that should a fee be agreed, it would then come down to the choice of the player, due to Barcelona’s interest, though it is thought that Arsenal are unlikely to be the Leeds star’s next destination.

It had heavily been linked before the conclusion of the season that Raphinha would be departing Leeds, and Xavi’s side were originally thought to be his most likely destination.

But Romano now feels that there’s a chance that the nine-time Brazil international could be staying in the Premier League, despite the Catalan giants’ interest.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “For Raphinha Chelsea are still there, they’re still waiting for the player to make a final decision.

“We know that, as Laporta says Raphinha wants to go to Barcelona.

“But it’s also important to mention that at the moment, Barcelona still have no full agreement with Leeds.”

It looks as unpredictable as ever to predict what lies in the future of Raphinha, who has been dubbed as a “phenomenon” by Brazil teammate Emerson Royal, though it seems more and more likely that he will be leaving Elland Road at some point this summer.

And he would likely be an excellent addition for whichever club he ends up signing for, having scored 11 goals, and provided three assists in 36 appearances for a struggling Leeds side last season according to Transfermarkt,