Sky Sports pundit Jermaine Beckford believes Raphinha Leeds United exit set in stone

Jermaine Beckford does not see Raphinha staying at Leeds United beyond the end of the current campaign.

The Brazilian has been the Whites' best player since he moved to Elland Road at the start of last season.

He hit the ground running and that has caught the eye of some of Europe's top sides.

Speaking on Premier League Productions, Beckford, a Sky Sports pundit, said, "If I'm being honest, I don't see him staying. He's that good. He's been carrying this Leeds side."

Play hard ball

The Brazilian is one of the hottest properties in the transfer market.

Once word goes out that Leeds are willing to do a deal, the interest in his services will increase.

This can see the Whites ask for a significant transfer fee and that's precisely what they should do.

Replacing the player, who's believed to be earning £63k per week at Elland Road, is not going to be an easy task.

He has single-handedly carried this side over the line on numerous occasions and will certainly want to be playing Champions League football in the future.

The likes of Barcelona, Chelsea and Bayern Munich have been linked with him and we're sure that more clubs will join the race once the window opens.

Leeds will want to keep a hold of him but realistically, even know that it's going to be difficult to retain his services.

In other Leeds United news, the Whites are leading the race to complete a major signing and have already opened talks to seal a £25m deal.