On Wednesday, information emerged that FC Barcelona owed Leeds United funds from the £50 million transfer of Raphinha. However, another report has surfaced to clarify the news from Spain.
Initially, SPORT reported that Barcelona still owes Leeds €559,000 in the short term and nearly €42 million in the long term.
Raphinha’s long-anticipated transfer to the LaLiga club occurred in July 2022, when he signed a five-year contract. Furthermore, the deal earned Leeds £50 million, with potential add-ons of up to £5 million.
The Brazilian has made 98 appearances since joining the Catalan side, scoring 26 goals and recording 31 assists. Nonetheless, this season under Hansi Flick, the former Leeds standout is flourishing.
Does Barcelona owe Leeds funds from the Raphinha transfer?
Despite the information coming out of Spain and Barcelona’s known delicate financial situation, the LaLiga club don’t owe Leeds any outstanding funds.
The Yorkshire Evening Post reports, citing sources, that Barcelona doesn’t have an outstanding debt directly to the clubs for Raphinha.
However, they may owe a creditor for funds used to secure his transfer, which could explain why their June 2024 financial report mentions a debt related to him. They might also owe smaller amounts to Sporting de Portugal, Stade Rennais, and Vitoria.
According to Leeds’ most recent accounts, the Yorkshire side were owed a total of £11.5 million, with payments due by July 1, and an additional £5 million in long-term debt. Nonetheless, only £2 million of the owed money was related to transfers.
Although Raphinha always wanted to move to Camp Nou, Barcelona’s ability to pull off the transfer in the summer of 2022 was uncertain. Former Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani later disclosed that a sale had been agreed upon with Chelsea to sell the forward to them before plans changed and Barcelona’s situation improved.
“We couldn’t deal with Barcelona because they weren’t in a position to deal,” Radrizzani said at the time. “So we made a deal with Chelsea because the player wanted to go and he was open to listening to offers from Premier League clubs. For me, it was done [Raphinha to Chelsea], and when I have a deal my word is my word. I felt ashamed to go back to Todd Boehly and change my position.”
