Phil Hay shares what he’s heard about rumours Raphinha didn’t want to join Leeds
The Athletic journalist Phil Hay has rubbished reports which claim that Raphinha did not want to join Leeds United on deadline day.
Raphinha, 23, headed to Elland Road on Monday in a £17million switch from Ligue 1 club Rennes.
The Brazilian winger was signed by Rennes from Sporting CP just a year earlier and on Monday, Get French Football News reported on Twitter that he did not want to leave the French club.
It was claimed that Raphinha was in tears on Sunday and wanted to spend another year at Rennes, whose players complained to the hierarchy about the proposed sale of their now-former team-mate.
Speaking on latest episode of The Phil Hay Show podcast, Hay has rubbished that report about Raphinha, claiming that he was eager to join Leeds in the Premier League.
“He hadn’t been on the scene in France for very long and he was a player that they rated,” said The Athletic journalist.
“But Raphinha wanted to go and in the end, he made it clear to Rennes that he did want to go.
“I saw the reports, like everyone else on Monday, saying that he’d been forced out against his will and been made to leave even though he wanted to stay.
“But my understanding is that is not correct – he was as keen to make the move as anyone else was.”
It was always hard to believe that report, anyway.
Raphinha has only spent one year at Rennes and was in stunning form on Sunday as he scored and assisted in a 2-2 draw against Reims.
Rennes would have wanted to keep hold of Raphinha if they could have, considering the fact they played him on Sunday so forcing him out would not have made sense.
We hope that Raphinha can become a good signing for the Whites but right now, it is hard to see when he is going to get a start or any game-time whatsoever.
Helder Costa has been in superb form at the start of this season while Ian Poveda impressed in the 1-1 draw against Manchester City on Saturday.
Marcelo Bielsa doesn’t like to make changes for the sake of it and he’s especially not going to make changes involving players who are in form.
Raphinha might have to wait some time for his Leeds debut.
In other Leeds United news, Hay’s shared a huge financial update on the Whites with a £30million deal agreed behind-the-scenes.