European giants Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing Leeds United winger Raphinha, acting as a potential huge blow for the Whites.
The Lowdown: Raphinha shines for Leeds
The Brazilian has been a fantastic signing for Leeds, arriving from Rennes in 2020, scoring and assisting nine times apiece in 37 appearances, also being hailed as ‘brilliant’ by Jermaine Beckford.
Raphinha’s silky left foot and dribbling ability have helped the Whites become one of the Premier League’s most attractive attacking sides, even if their results are poor at the moment.
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The Latest: Barcelona keen on move
It looks as though Leeds could face a tough task keeping hold of the 24-year-old, however, with fichajes.net claiming Barcelona are ‘targeting’ him.
The winger is believed to cost between £25million and £50million, but the Whites are understandably hesitant to let one of their star players leave.
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The Verdict: Massive blow
Sadly, when a club the size of Barca comes along, it can be hard for any player to turn them down, despite their own struggles at the moment.
They have a particular appeal to Brazilian players – past greats such as Ronaldo and Ronaldinho have played for them – so Raphinha could have his head turned.
One more recent example in that regard is Philippe Coutinho, who allegedly faked a back injury to force his way from Liverpool to Catalonia.
In an ideal world, Leeds would keep hold of Raphinha for many years, but given his influence and rise to stardom at Elland Road and the pulling power a club like Barcelona will simply always have, these rumours have the potential to cause a massive blow to Leeds.
In other news, Graham Smyth was disappointed with one Leeds player’s performance against West Han. Read more here.
