Leeds United chance to keep Raphinha gone with Jesse Marsch’s reaction to Luke Ayling red
Whatever chance Leeds United had of keeping hold of Raphinha after this season are likely gone after Jesse Marsch’s response to Luke Ayling’s suspension.
The Whites veteran was sent off in the defeat at Arsenal Sunday (8 May) for a mindless challenge on Gabriel Martinelli, ruling him out for the remaining Premier League fixtures.
And with utility man Stuart Dallas already out for as long as six months with a broken leg the American was forced to assess his options at the position ahead of the crucial three-game conclusion to the battle against relegation.
With star Brazilian attacker squarely in the sights of La Liga giants Barcelona for a summer transfer, the manager’s words will likely have pushed him closer to the exit.
Commenting on who fills the position of the suspended man, Marsch said after the game (via The Times): “We need to evaluate that. It does present us with a dilemma.
“We have Jamie Shackleton to play this position, we can play Raphinha, we can try a centre-back out there.”
Unlikely
The 25-year-old is a team player, and his surprising outrage at what looked like a nailed-on sending off for Ayling at the Emirates suggests he is far from checked out of this relegation battle.
But just as there is no way an international player of that calibre is staying at Elland Road in the Championship, he also isn’t staying to fill in at wing-back.
Attacking wide men such as Ashley Young and Victor Moses have moved back to the position with some success after their offensive primes, but Raphinha is clearly a player in the ascendency of his career.
Assuming the Whites are able to avoid the drop, which is looking increasingly uncertain and is not aided by 500-game veterans launching into two-footers on the touchline, there is no release clause for Raphinha so the club hold the cards.
But they have far less capital in the negotiations with player or buyer if they’ve just made him a stop-gap full-back.
If they stay up there is a small chance they could sell the former Rennes forward on being the star attraction in a revamped side.
And even if he is set on moving to the Camp Nou it will weaken the negotiating position if their primary attacking threat was most recently seen attempting to contain Leandro Trossard and Christian Pulisic in his own half.
Diego Llorente or Shackleton should be the answer for a problem Marsch didn’t want, and Raphinha should be trying to score the goals that keep the Whites up.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay agrees that revisiting a transfer that Bielsa stood in the way of could be a “very good investment”.