Barcelona, July 13 (BNA): FC Barcelona announced, on Wednesday, that it has reached an agreement to sign Leeds playmaker Ravenha, and will also keep French striker Osman Dembele at the club.
The agreement to sign Brazil international Ravenha was pending the 25-year-old winger getting a medical. Leeds also confirmed that it had reached an agreement in principle with Barcelona, according to the Associated Press.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has also said that the club will keep Dembele, who is expected to extend his contract until the end of 2024. Dembele performed well this last season after refusing to leave on loan.
Laporta did not respond to questions about whether Barcelona were still trying to sign Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich. Laporta recently said that Barcelona made an offer for the striker.
The Catalan club is recovering after suffering a difficult financial situation due to the pandemic, with former club officials also blaming mismanagement.
Financial details of Ravenha’s transfer were not immediately revealed, but local media said Barcelona would pay close to 60 million euros ($60 million) in addition to the additions.
Barcelona described Rafinha as an “excellent player facing defenders as an essential part of his game”. She described him as a “difference maker”.
Rafinha made his debut for the Brazilian national team last year and is set to make the starting line-up for the World Cup in Qatar later this year.
Rafinha moved from Brazil to Europe early in his career, joining Portuguese club Vitoria Guimarães before moving to Sporting Lisbon for €6.5 million in 2018.
He went to Rennes for €21 million in 2019, then joined Leeds a year later and quickly became a regular fixture in Marcelo Bielsa’s squad.
Barcelona said it has sent Portugal striker Francisco Trincao on a one-year loan deal to Sporting Lisbon. The deal includes an option for Sporting to retain the 22-year-old.
Trincao joined Barcelona from Braga in 2020 but struggled to make an impact, scoring three goals and providing assists in 42 games before being loaned to Wolverhampton last season.
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