Leeds United are still due a total of around £53.6m in transfer fees from Barcelona for Raphinha following his move in summer of 2022, according to Ara.
The Catalan news outlet (10 October) claims that around €38million (£32.86m) is still owed for the Brazilian forward, with £20.75million of that being described as a “short-term” debt.
It’s also believed that Barcelona will need to pay that figure soon after they required a bank to front the debt with Leeds with the Whites factoring in that right because the La Liga giants owe so much money.
It’s amazing how Barcelona were able to find so many loopholes in order to fund transfer moves that they simply did not have the money for as they were desperate to return to the top of Europe after years of mismanagement and failure.
The FFP rules that so many clubs are wrapped under are so unfairly exploited by the top clubs that there remains no way of them being adequately punished in the way others are, however, it seems it’s their loss in the end with Leeds United owed around £50m-plus in debt.
While the loss of Raphinha hurt the club given his burgeoning qualities and the joy he gave Elland Road, the Whites certainly won’t have been too disappointed at the fee Barca agreed to pay for him.
Much of those funds have not been received yet as the Catalan report reveals and it’s not only Raphinha that Barcelona will have to pay almighty amounts of debt for.
However, Leeds United and their new owners certainly won’t mind and they will surely be laughing their way to the bank once that whopping windfall is eventually received.
Given the massive amount of debt Barcelona are wrapped under right now, it may be a while before the West Yorkshire outfit receives such a hefty figure.
