Speaking to The Athletic, Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has been discussing Raphinha’s departure from the club and the interest that was shown in the Brazilian.
The left-footer was one of the most sought-after players in Europe this summer. Barcelona eventually signed him last month, but before that he was strongly linked to Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.
As ever, it’s tough to know what to believe when it comes to transfer rumours, but now, Radrizzani has gone on the record to confirm that both Arsenal and Spurs wanted the Brazilian.
What’s been said?
Radrizzani discussed the interest shown in Raphinha.
“We had interest from Arsenal, from Tottenham and from Chelsea and from Barcelona. The best deal we agreed was with Chelsea. At the end, the deal which came up with Barcelona was pretty much the same, the way we structured it at the very end. But it took time. For me, in this moment, we cannot be at this level. It would be wrong to put the players in a cage when they have that talent,” Radrizzani said.
“Raphinha is a special player. Honestly, I think with a good World Cup he can become one of the top 20 players in the world. Why keep him in a cage?”
Missed out on a star
Arsenal and Tottenham have seemingly missed out on a future superstar here.
Raphinha may not have played for an elite club until this point, but make no mistake about it, this is a player headed to the very top.
As Radrizzani says, this is a special footballer, and while stating that Raphinha could be one of the world’s 20 best players is ambitious, he’s good enough to be at that level in a couple of years’ time.
The north London pair’s loss is Barcelona’s gain, and Raphinha now looks set to light up La Liga next season.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
