Leeds United Director of Football, Victor Orta, has told Radio Marca that he has told Raphinha to focus on football between now and the end of the season.
Orta has said that he has told Raphinha that the primary objective now is for Leeds to retain their Premier League status for next season.
The Spaniard has suggested that the future of the Brazil international winger will be sorted in the summer transfer window.
Raphinha has been linked with a number of clubs.
Well-known and well-respected journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported that Arsenal and Barcelona want to sign the 25-year-old, while 90min have claimed that Liverpool are interested in the former Rennes star.
Victor Orta on Leeds United winger Raphinha
Orta told Radio Marca: “Fortunately, Raphinha’s career-management is led by a top-level player – Deco. He knows how to handle it. I have had several conversations with Deco. He helps, Deco, there are others who don’t, Deco has helped.
“Deco knows that the goal of the player is to save the team and stay in the Premier League. Everything that is of the future will come.
“Raphinha has no clause if we stay in the Premier League, by the way. In that sense, the player and I have looked each other in the face and we have now said there is only one goal – that is to save Leeds United.”
The Leeds official added, looking back at when the winger first joined: ‘The player walked through the door of Leeds United and I said, ‘You will invite me to the World Cup in Qatar, won’t you?’, and he was left with a foolish face, he didn’t believe it.”
“And now we have been meeting those objectives. Now he knows that Leeds and the coaching staff have helped his image grow, and he has responded to us with a lot of quality and being a difference-maker in the league.
“He has to remain the same and then when summer arrives, when the time comes, there will be time for everything.”
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Worrying?
In our opinion, Orta’s comments on Raphinha suggest that Leeds could sell the winger in the summer transfer window.
The Leeds Director of Football does not say that the club will not sell the winger.
Now, of course, if Leeds do stay in the Premier League, then they will be able to demand a lot more in transfer fee than the £17 million they paid for Raphinha.
With huge clubs such as Barcelona, Liverpool and Arsenal interested in him, we cannot really blame Raphinha if he is keen to make a move away from Elland Road.
Meanwhile, The Sun have reported that Aston Villa are leading the race to sign Rangers youngster Rory Wilson ahead of Leeds.
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