Speaking recently on the All Leeds TV YouTube channel, Beren Cross discussed Leeds United’s potential incoming and outgoing transfers this summer, and, in particular, the club’s reported interest in Barcelona midfielder, Rafinha.
Since making his Barcelona debut as an 18-year-old back in 2011, Rafinha has gone on to make 90 appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals and providing eight assists along the way.
However, despite spending nine years as part of the club’s first team, the attacking midfielder has struggled to hold down a place in the side, with his most La Liga appearances in one season for Barcelona coming all the way back in the club’s 2014/15 campaign – when he featured in 24 league fixtures.
As a result of his apparent inability to make an impression on the first team, the Brazilian international has found himself loaned out on several occasions, spending half a season on loan at Serie A side Inter Milan, where he scored two goals and provided three assists in 13 appearances, as well as two separate loan spells at Celta Vigo, over which he scored eight goals and provided nine assists in 63 appearances.
Spanish publication SPORT recently reported that a summer move to the Premier League could be on the cards for the £8.55 million-rated man, with the paper claiming that Marcelo Bielsa would like to bring the 27-year-old to Leeds.
However, speaking recently on the All Leeds TV YouTube channel, when asked whether he thought that there was anything in a potential move to the Yorkshire club for Rafinha, Cross said that he does not think a move for the midfielder looks likely.
He said: “Not as I understand it, at the moment. I think it’s a very, very easy report to make, isn’t it? You guys have followed Leeds long enough to know that every single window, Leeds are going to get linked with players, especially since promotion.
“Who knows? As I say, it’s such a transient thing. There’s so many different moving agendas in the transfer market that as soon as you say something, in half an hour’s time, Rafinha might suddenly get on the phone and say ‘I want to go to Leeds’ and then suddenly what I’ve just said is out of date.”
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From Cross’ comments, then, it would certainly appear as if the journalist does not think that the club are interested in making a move for Rafinha at present, although, that the situation surrounding the player could change.
However, this last remark seems as if it was made as a more general point about the transfer market, rather than Rafinha in particular, so, in our opinion, we wouldn’t advise fans of Leeds to hold their breath regarding their club making a move for the Barcelona man this summer.