Spanish giants Barcelona are seeking to beat English champions Chelsea to the signing of Ghana's Germany-based defender Baba Abdul-Rahman, GHANAsoccernet.com can exclusively reveal.
The Spanish and European champions are attempting to hijack Chelsea's deal with German side Augsburg over the hugely talented right-back by making last-minute enquiries about the Ghanaian.
Barcelona contacted agents close to the player and his German side on Thursday night to ask about the terms for the player and the Bundesliga club as his transfer to Stamford Bridge delayed.
This came even though Chelsea have reached an agreement with Augsburg over the transfer and the player travelling to Paris for his successful Blues medical, as exclusively revealed by GHANAsoccernet.com on Friday morning.
Now insiders have told Ghana's leading football news outfit GHANAsoccernet.com that Barcelona are prepared to make a higher offer to Augsburg than the £20m agreed price with Chelsea in an effort to convince the German side to sell the defender to them.
The Catalans are taking advantage of the UK visa delays for Baba Rahman to turn his head with the offer of playing for one of the biggest and most successful clubs in the world.
A better salary offer, the chance of playing with the world's best player Lionel Messi and the prospect of winning top titles with Barcelona could prove tempting for Baba's advisors as further UK visa delays and a tortuous application for a UK work permit could play into Barcelona's hands.
A deal for Rahman is edging closer with the fee thought to be in excess of £20m as Chelsea look to replace the departed Filipe Luis who rejoined Atletico Madrid earlier this summer.
Augsburg general manager Stefan Reuter said there are further details to discuss with Jose Mourinho’s side over his contract - this could open the chance for Barcelona.
Rahman is expected to be left out of Augsburg’s squad for Saturday’s Bundesliga opener with Hertha Berlin.
His agent confirmed earlier this month the Ghana international had agreed to join Chelsea but with the deal still not signed anything is possible.
The Premier League champions currently have just Cesar Azpilicueta as their only option at left-back with Kurt Zouma having filled in from the bench when the Spanish defender went off injured in the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal.
Rahman, 21, impressed last season after Augsburg finished fifth in the Bundesliga and made more tackles than any other left-back in the German top flight.
He was proposed to Chelsea by their former coach Avram Grant who is now in charge of Ghana as he watched his side reach the final of the Africa Cup of Nations with Baba a key part of the squad.