{{primary_category}}
{{/primary_category}} 
Fabrizio Romano on Leeds United: Barcelona Raphinha offer just verbal as Ousmane Demebele accepts
The improved offer from Barcelona to Leeds United for Raphinha is as yet verbal only while another key deal has been agreed, Fabrizio Romano reports.
News broke on Friday (8 July) that there had finally been a new bid from La Liga for the Brazilian which matched the value of the accepted offer from Chelsea, but the Italian has made clear that is not yet officially the case.
On his YouTube channel on Friday, the reliable journalist who writes for The Guardian among others, said: “The update is that Barcelona in the last 24-hours have approached Leeds again and have made a new, verbal, and not official yet, verbal proposal.”
He confirmed it was now “close to €60million guaranteed” but that Leeds want £60million as is on the table from Stamford Bridge, which he called “a big difference”.
At the same time he outlined the fact that Ousmane Dembele, a man who was long considered to be in the way of a Raphinha move to the Camp Nou has now accepted a new contract at the club.
Sport in Spain are now reporting that the Frenchman stays and that the Catalans take his “continuity for granted”.
Subscribe to Football Insider TV now
However Romano says that while it is fully accepted on the player’s side, the club have to decide whether to go ahead with it.
He said: “Barca will try to understand if they are able to sign both Raphinha and re-sign Demebele with a new contract or not.”
Dominoes
It is getting closer and closer to a conclusion but the inevitability of the Raphinha move to the Blaugrana is still not settled.
Dembele, considered a rival for a spot on the wing at the club for so long could yet be a teammate.
Discussions between the Whites and their Catalan counterparts continue to see if they will finally match the Chelsea bid outright.
Dembele is now essentially in the same situation as Raphinha as both have personal terms agreed at the Camp Nou and as yet neither know if the club will bring them in.
To do so with the French former Dortmund star they only have to say yes, but for the Elland Road standout they have to reach an agreement with Leeds imminently or Chelsea are ready to catch him.
One domino in the sequence has fallen as Dembele has an agreement, and if Spanish reports are accurate they are definitely keeping him.
That could lessen the urgency to add Raphinha, although Xavi wants both, and it could take up some of the financial ability to do so.
Romano’s take is that for all the progress that has happened in multiple directions between two clubs and two players, it is all still pending based on what Barcelona can or will commit to.
In other Leeds United news, Victor Orta wants to sign a controversially available youngster and add an experienced option at the same position.