You just can’t stop Leeds United star Raphinha this season, but that may leave the Whites open to losing him down the line.
Nobody at Elland Road will want to say it, but Raphinha will absolutely have admiring glances from around Europe.
Agent Deco – yes, that Deco – has already admitted that Liverpool fancy Raphinha and could move for him down the line.
There are surely clubs all over who want to sign Raphinha, especially after his exploits with Brazil in the last international break.
On Sunday, Raphinha continued his superb season by burying a free kick in the 1-1 draw against Leicester City.
That’s five goals in 10 Premier League games for Raphinha this season and four in his last six outings.
To put it simply, the Brazilian winger is one of the top Premier League players right now.
Leeds fans don’t need to worry right now; the club surely won’t sell Raphinha in January.
Come next summer though, Leeds may be fending off bidders. At least they will be in a position to demand a major profit.
Now, pundit Garth Crooks has told BBC Sport that he ultimately thinks ‘it’s only a matter of time’ before Raphinha is playing in the Champions League.
With Leeds not really contending for the top four, that would require a transfer – and Crooks believes Raphinha may not be at Elland Road all that much longer.
“Against Leicester it was impossible to ignore the Brazilian again,” said Crooks. “It’s painfully obvious to me that here is a player who sets Elland Road alight, but the question is for how long.”
“Raphinha is a top-class player and most of them play in the Champions League. It’s only a matter of time,” he added.
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