2 years ago
Barcelona has agreed to sell 10% of their LaLiga TV rights to Sixth Street for the next 25 years.
The deal is worth £230 million, with the club receiving approximately £178 million immediately.
The news is huge for their transfer hopes, as they appear to have received the funds required to confirm moves for some of their top targets.
This poses a real threat to Chelsea, as the two clubs are both interested in Raphinha and Jules Kounde.
The Brazilian in particular appeared set to join Chelsea, with the Blues agreeing a fee with Leeds United for his services.
While it was clear that the Catalan club was the 25-year-preferred old's destination, Chelsea's rumored scheduled meeting with his agent, Deco, today was billed as an opportunity for the club to persuade them of the project in West London.
However, with this infusion of cash, La Liga could conjure up a deal that Premier League survivors Leeds will accept.
Barcelona has declared Chelsea a danger.
Chelsea would lose a key target, who Tuchel hoped to add to his team's attack next season, as a result of the move.
After a deal fell through a year ago, the move for Kounde has been in the works for much longer than the one for Raphinha.
Again, Barcelona expressed interest late in the process, despite reports that they would have struggled financially to match any offer made by Chelsea to Sevilla.
Having said that, they may return their focus to the French international following this recent cash injection, as Xavi's side looks to close the gap on Real Madrid next season.
It must be said that it is unclear where the new funds will be spent on transfers, given the long list of players on Barcelona's wishlist.
The Catalan club is also said to be strong contenders for another Chelsea target, Robert Lewandowski. The Poland international could be considered a priority to secure first, potentially leaving the door open for the views.
Overall, losing both targets to a weakened Barcelona side would be a major setback for the Todd Boehly era, raising concerns among fans that the club is no longer on the same level as it was under Roman Abramovich.
And the fact that Barcelona now has more money to spend will cause real concern at Stamford Bridge today.
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