It’s fair to say the list of players Borussia Dortmund have identified as potential Jadon Sancho replacements feels like a mixed bag (EuroSport).
Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi has plateaued somewhat, two years after Bayern Munich were offering him Arjen Robben’s legendary number ten shirt at the Allianz Arena.
Jonathan Ikone, meanwhile, fell out of favour at Lille, who dumped Paris Saint-Germain off their gilded Ligue 1 throne on Sunday.
But Raphinha? Now you’re talking.
Unlike Ikone, the brilliant Brazilian not only started but starred throughout 2020/21, tallying eight goals and 11 assists while a steady stream of man of the match awards tests the sturdiness of his mantelpiece.
And, unlike Hudson-Odoi, Raphinha blossomed into a bonafide match-winning talent in arguably Europe’s most high-profile competition, leaving full-backs up and down the land dizzied, dazed and praying for the shrill mercy of the full-time whistle.
While Chelsea may be tempted to cash in on Hudson-Odoi, and Lille’s financial problems force them to consider offers for their title-winning heroes, getting Raphinha out of an ambitious and increasingly affluent Leeds United side will be easier said than done.
In fact, there’s an argument it would be easier to sign Sancho this summer than it would to get your mitts on Raphinha.
Here’s what some Dortmund fans had to say about the matter on Twitter:
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
