Chelsea target Raphinha was always seen as a ‘bonus’ signing at Stamford Bridge as Raheem Sterling was the top target, it has been revealed.
The Blues look set to miss out on the Brazilian, with Barcelona ready to sign the 25-year-old.
The Spanish side are set to land Raphinha in a sensational £63 million move from the Premier League.
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This comes after Leeds boss Jesse Marsch offered an update on the situation last week, hoping for a quick resolution.
“My guess is, I don't know,” responded Marsch over whether or not Raphinha would travel to Australia for pre-season.
“We just have to wait and see what happens in the next couple of days.
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“There's urgency from his end, I think, to come up with a solution. We have to in the next couple of days see how things stand and see how we go.
“It hasn't been an easy time for him this summer. Things have come and gone and there have been a lot of little discussions. Right now he's our player.
"We had a very open and honest conversation about while he's here he's part of us, and then we'll see what happens. It's still a long way to go in the transfer window.
“I know he has hopes and dreams. I know he loves this team and this club and he loves being here. We'll see how things progress day by day.”
It appears that Chelsea will miss out on their target, but this will not be as big of a blow to the Blues as it previously looked to be.
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As revealed by Nick Purewal, Raphinha was always viewed as a bonus with signing Man City’s Sterling at the top of the list.
Chelsea will back their existing attacking options but will keep pushing on players that can play ‘across the line’.
The Blues reached an agreement with Man City over the signing of Sterling, who looks set to join up with his new teammates later this week.
The winger completed the first part of his Blues medical on Sunday, with the second part underway on Monday.
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He will then look to fly to meet-up with his new teammates on Tuesday as the Blues prepare for their pre-season matches in the United States.
Chelsea are undergoing a two-week long training camp in the California heat, playing Club America, Charlotte FC and Arsenal before returning to Europe to play Udinese before the new Premier League season.
It appears that they will be without Raphihna, who looks set for Barcelona, but that they will have their priority singing, Sterling, through the door this summer.
Topics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Raphinha, Aljamain Sterling, Manchester City, Leeds United, Barcelona, Football, Transfers, Premier League
Nick Emms