Chelsea 'close' to agreeing £55m deal to sign Newcastle United target - The Athletic

According to The Athletic, Chelsea are now in pole position to sign Leeds United winger Raphinha.

David Ornstein reports that the Blues are 'close' to agreeing a fee in excess of £55m for the Brazilian, who has been heavily linked with Newcastle in recent days.

Fabrizio Romano revealed last week that the 25-year-old had been identified as a "dream" signing by Toon chiefs, while the Northern Echo released a piece on Monday stating that we'd held initial talks over a potential move.

However, it looks like Chelsea are closing in on a deal, with The Athletic reporting that Barcelona and Arsenal appear unable to match Leeds' asking price as things stand.

In truth, this always felt like a step too far for Newcastle this summer, as the player has received serious interest from a host of Champions League clubs and is demanding a huge fee.

Still, it's an exciting sign of things to come if we're in the market for such a top class right winger!