The Catalans have made a massive breakthrough in their pursuit of the Premier League star.

Barcelona have reached total agreement to sign Raphinha from Leeds United, a report from Spain has confirmed. The Catalans are said to have had an offer of €58 million plus €7 million in variables being accepted by the Premier League side, hijacking the player's purported move to Chelsea in the process.

It has been known for over six months that Barcelona and Raphinha had a verbal agreement for the Brazilian to join the club this summer. However, the move was heavily reliant on Leed's status in the Premier League as they were battling relegation at the time. In hindsight, the transfer was complicated by the Peacocks surviving relegation, a development which prevented Raphinha from leaving for cheap.

The recent weeks have presented twists and turns in the transfer saga with both Arsenal and Chelsea having become frontrunners in the pursuit of the player's signature. Eventually, there was general acceptance that the 25-year-old attacker could be on his way to Stamford Bridge after the Blues had a $70M bid accepted for him while Arsenal fell short of Leeds valuation. Nevertheless, the negotiations stalled with the player suggesting to his camp that he favored a move to Barca above any other destination.

After weeks of prolonged discussions, there has finally been a breakthrough. According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona will be paying a fixed sum of $58 million. However, the total value of the transfer fee - which is still less than what was offered by Chelsea - is expected to rise to about $68 million when the add-ons are paid. It is speculated that Leeds have agreed for Barca to pay the fee in instalments, with the Liga club's current financial situation preventing them from coming up with the full amount upfront.