Oscar Mario of All Leeds TV has been discussing Raphinha during a recent YouTube video and compared him to one of the Premier League’s £36m-rated stars.
The Whites signed the Brazilian from French football, Stade Rennais to be specific, in a deal reportedly worth £16.72m during the summer transfer window (as per Transfermarkt). To date, the 23-year-old has made just three Premier League appearances as a substitute in the games versus Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.
Last season, Raphinha scored nine goals and provided his teammates with five assists and judging by his comments, it appears, Mario believes the winger can bring plenty of quality to the table for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, here is what he had to say:
“Raphinha is our mini [Hakim] Ziyech to an extent, he’s a lot younger and he’s a lot quicker as well, I just feel he’s going to have that kind of impact where he’s going to really start to just penetrate through the middle of the pitch and just create chance, after chance, after chance.”
Can Raphinha go on to be as good as Hakim Ziyech?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts on Oscar Mario’s comments regarding Raphinha…
Chelsea signed Hakim Ziyech from Ajax in the summer for £36m and since arriving in West London, he has scored two goals and provided his teammates with three assists in just seven appearances (as per Transfermarkt).
The Moroccan’s average performance rating in the Premier League to date stands at a very impressive 7.26/10 and so whenever he is given the opportunity, if he is going to be compared to the 27-year-old, Raphinha will need to perform to a high standard.
The Elland Road club take on Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal at the weekend but it is unclear whether or not the £16.2m-rated Brazilian will be given the opportunity to play from the start or feature from the substitutes’ bench.