Chelsea closing in on Dembele, Raphinha to snub Barca for Man Utd

Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele is reportedly set to be the first signing of the Todd Boehly era at Chelsea.

The American has agreed a £4.25billion deal to purchase the West London outfit from Roman Abramovich.

And Boehly's first piece of business as the Blues' new owner could be to sanction the transfer of French forward Dembele.

Dembele, 25, is set to be available as a free agent after snubbing multiple contract offers from the Blaugrana.

Paris Saint-Germain have been linked with the 2018 World Cup winner as a possible replacement for Angel Di Maria.

Chelsea are known to be long-term admirers of the former Rennes ace, with Thomas Tuchel keen for a reunion with the player at Stamford Bridge.

The duo worked together at Borussia Dortmund, with the German gaffer previously describing Dembele as one of the "craziest talents" he has ever seen.

And according to Mundo Deportivo, Chelsea are in pole position to snap up the two-time LaLiga winner on a free transfer.

They state that Dembele is on the verge of an agreement with Chelsea.

This has been backed up by 90min who have declared that the Blues are 'quietly confident' of securing his services.

Since joining Barca from BVB in 2017, Dembele has scored 32 goals in 150 games, with injuries stifling his progress in Catalonia.

He was limited to just 21 Spanish top-flight outings during the 2021-22 season due to knee and hamstring issues.

But he still managed to chip in with 13 assists - the most of any player in LaLiga.

Meanwhile, Raphinha wants to join Leeds' arch-rivals Manchester United instead of Barcelona, reports claim.

The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away from Elland Road after playing a mjor role in keeping the Whites up.

Raphinha chipped in with 11 goals and three assists from 35 Premier League games to help Leeds beat the drop on the final game of the campaign.

Should the Yorkshire outfit have been relegated, the ex-Rennes ace would have been available for £21million due to a clause in his contract.

But it is believed that the forward will now cost in excess of £40m following their 2-1 win against Brentford.

The figure hasn't put off Barcelona, with the Blaugrana still prepared to bring the player to the Nou Camp. But they face competition from the Red Devils in the race to secure the Brazilian's services.

And according to the Daily Express, Raphinha may favour a switch to Old Trafford should he decide to depart Leeds.

They claim that Bruno Fernandes could be key in Raphinha's decision, with the pair playing together for a year at Sporting Lisbon.

Raphinha opened up on their excellent relationship last year during an article he wrote for The Players' Tribune.

He said: "My older brother is Bruno Fernandes. At least that’s the way I see it. Our friendship began even before we became team-mates at Sporting.

"Once he knew that I was going there, he texted me saying he was looking forward to playing with me.

"I know that I would have arrived at the club in a very timid way if I hadn’t known anyone there before, so he really helped me settle quickly.

"Bruno has helped me so much. In Portugal we would talk a lot and go out for meals. When I went to Rennes, he advised me. The guy is so clever.

"When I was on the plane to Leeds, he texted me saying my style would fit the league. He was right again. 

"Just being around him is an inspiration because of the way he behaves. At the top level I have never seen anyone work as hard as him.

"You know it will be very difficult to do what he does, but if you try long enough and listen to what he says, you might get close.

"I like to tell him that the next time we play each other, I’m going to nutmeg him. We always joke around with each other. 

"I’ll see you on the pitch soon, brother. Make sure to keep your legs closed."