Why Barca's entire summer transfer window relies on Leeds getting relegated

FT Desk

29 Mar 2022 17:49 BST
5 min read

Barcelona may have turned a corner under Xavi but there’s no doubt that the club’s starting XI will need some major surgery in the summer transfer window.

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The Spanish giants are still some way behind Real Madrid in the title race and there’s no assurances that they’ll be able to catch their historic rivals next year with the current roster of stars - especially if Kylian Mbappe arrives in the Spanish capital this summer.

As such, Barca will likely be looking to bring in some new faces this summer, but one player in particular may only be able to arrive at the Camp Nou if his current side face the most unfortunate of demises between now and the end of the season.

Clarification on Raphinha. There will be no €75m release clause available in Premier League this summer - the only valid clause will be for 25m in case of relegation. 🗂🇧🇷 #LUFC

Barça are in advanced talks on personal terms with his agent Deco but there’s still no bid to Leeds. pic.twitter.com/uhFsPJejZp

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 29, 2022

Barcelona need Leeds to get relegated

According to sports journalist Fabrizio Romano, Barca’s pursuit of Leeds United forward Raphinha grows more complicated by the day.

Initially, it was believed that the forward had a release clause in his contract that would allow him to leave the Premier League side in the summer for €75 million.

However, it now seems to be the case that such a release clause doesn’t actually exist, which means Leeds could demand any price they want for the forward if Barca came calling.

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A post shared by Raphinha Belloli (@raphinha)

Yet, one final twist in the tale seems to involve another release clause for the player, which states that Raphinha would be allowed to leave Leeds for just €25m if the Elland Road side where to get relegated in the summer.

Which, undoubtedly, would be a huge coup for a club like Barca, who would have perhaps been prepared to pay almost three times that amount for the player.

As such, the Catalan giants may somewhat immorally be hoping for Leeds to get relegated just so they can swoop in and sign Raphinha for an absolute bargain this summer.