Leeds United ‘Reject A £29 M Raphinha Proposal from Barcelona’ as they seek a Replacement for Ousmane Dembele.

According to Sport, Leeds United have rejected an offer from Barcelona for Brazilian attacker Raphinha.

The Catalan giants are interested in signing the 25-year-old if Frenchman Ousmane Dembele leaves the club this summer.

Barcelona have offered €35 million (£29 million) for the Brazil international, which is far less than Leeds’ valuation of the player.

Jesse Marsch’s team has informed Barcelona officials that they must pay the €75 million (£62.5 million) release clause in Raphinha’s contract in order to lure him away from Elland Road.

Raphinha, who holds an Italian citizenship, is under contract with Leeds until 2024, with Liverpool, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich all keeping an eye on his talents.

However, the winger values the presence of a coach like Xavi and the development of a young team. He is a fixture for Brazil’s national team and will travel to the World Cup in Qatar later this year as one of Tite’s primary strikers.

It is thought that Barcelona is his preferred choice, with the player eager to play club football in the Nou Camp.

Xavi is now likely to hold off on signing him, as doubts about Dembele’s future persist, as he remains linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

If Leeds get relegated from the Premier League, Barcelona may be able to sign Raphinha for as little as €25 million (£20.8 million).

They will, however, need to act quickly, as other European titans are circling. If the team misses out on him, they may well turn their focus to RB Leipzig forward Dani Olmo, who was born in Terrasa.