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Raphinha 'won't be at Elland Road next season' - Dean Jones
Leeds winger Raphinha ‘won’t be at Elland Road next season’ amid increasing transfer speculation, according to journalist Dean Jones.
The Brazilian was heavily linked with a move away from the club in January, with suggestions of a deal to Bayern Munich being done [TNT Sports] as well as interest from Chelsea [Gianluca Longari] and Liverpool [Echo].
But while a deal didn’t materialise as Leeds rejected a £50m bid from West Ham and kept hold of him, journalist Jones told GiveMeSport that it’s ‘pretty clear’ the 25-year-old will leave in the summer.
“He was highlighted and it was a tough day for Leeds all round,” he said. “It’s pretty clear in my mind that Raphinha won’t be at Leeds next season anyway.”
Leeds are currently in talks with Raphinha’s agent Deco about a potential new contract at Elland Road, but nothing has been agreed or signed yet.
Inevitable
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It seems inevitable that one of the big boys will make a move for Raphinha at some point in the near future.
His form since joining has been excellent and Bielsa has openly described him as the club’s best player, so losing him would obviously be a blow to the team.
Surviving relegation could be one way of convincing him to stay for an extra season on improved terms, but Leeds aren’t the richest club out there and a big bid could see them lose him.
It seems as though Jones is adamant that type of offer will arrive in the summer and he will leave the club, but hopefully, they’ll be a Premier League side if he does.
If that’s the case then Whites fans will let the ‘phenomenal’ star, as once described by Rio Ferdinand, go with their blessing in the hope that the club can find another gem to replace him with.
In other Leeds news, Sky Sports pundit tells Leeds the advantage they have over Manchester United