Barcelona tease suitors by naming tantalising asking price for Ballon d'Or favourite

Barcelona have reportedly named the asking price that will tempt them into selling current Ballon d’Or favourite Raphinha this summer, as the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea all queue up for the Brazilian attacker.

The 28-year-old winger has played an integral role in Barca’s impressive season so far, scoring 25 goals and registering 15 assists across LaLiga and the Champions League as the Catalan giants chase an incredible double.

Raphinha still has two years remaining on his current contract and while Barcelona have begun talks over a new deal, Catalunya Radio reports that Raphinha’s representatives are requesting a higher salary than the Camp Nou outfit are prepared to offer.

To that end, the report adds that Barca sporting director Deco has raised the possibility of selling Raphinha to a club that could meet his salary demands – but only if a bid in the region of €80m to €90m (£69.4m to £78.1m) is received.

It’s also stated that Raphinha has already received an approach to join the Saudi Pro League, although the former Leeds United star is not ready to consider a switch to the Middle East until after the 2026 World Cup at the earliest.

Barca are also said to be looking to include a release clause which would be ‘affordable’ for a rival club to trigger.

Barcelona’s asking price for the player could now ignite a bidding war, especially in the Premier League, where the linkes of Arsenal, United and Chelsea have all been showing significant interest.

Indeed, both London clubs tried to sign Raphinha from Leeds back in 2022, with Chelsea actually agreeing a £55m deal for the winger. However, it was always the Brazilian’s preference to hold out for a move to Catalonia.

It now remains to be seen what will happen this summer for one of European football’s star performers, who could actually end up being crowned the best player in the world later in the year.

DIVE DEEPER ➡️ Kevin De Bruyne: Every club linked with Man City legend, including Ronaldo, Messi link up

Raphinha dreaming of Ballon d’Or glory

In a recent interview with legendary Brazilian forward Romario, Raphinha admitted he has been thinking about picking up the prestigious honour.

He said: “It’s only natural that it would cross my mind, and if I told you otherwise I would be lying. But I try to put that aside and focus on my personal goals in my career, whether in terms of scoring goals, making assists, or winning titles.

“I think if I achieve all the goals I wrote in my notebook by the end of the season, the possibility of winning an individual award will be very high.

“But I don’t like to focus too much on the Ballon d’Or or any individual award because thinking about it too much can become a distraction.”

TNT Sports’ Owen Hargreaves and Steve McManaman have hailed the Barca star as a “lead contender” for the award after his antics domestically and in Europe this season.

“You can argue that with his numbers this season, [Raphinha’s] in contention for the Ballon d’Or,” Hargreaves said on TNT Sports.

“His finishing has been out of this world; he’s the captain of the club, and he’s been an absolute revelation. I think currently you would say he might be in the lead for the Ballon d’Or.”

Latest Barcelona news

🔴🔵 Messi to make decisive decision on Inter Miami future after Barcelona return talk

🔴🔵 West Ham, Barcelona submit ‘formal offers’ for 107-goal striker available for FREE

🔴🔵 Chelsea, Barcelona converge on history-making striker who stunned England

POLL – Which Barcelona player do you think has the highest transfer value?

Click here to read article