Phil Hay has claimed that he fully expects Raphinha to leave Leeds United this summer.
Raphinha played a huge role in Leeds’s ability to avoid the drop as he netted from the penalty spot to put the Whites 1-0 up on Sunday against Brentford and was then seen celebrating in the stands with the fans, but that hasn’t stopped talk of him leaving.
The Brazilian winger, who has been a long-term target of Barcelona, will have seen Sky Sports report recently that the Catalan club are looking to make that interest more firm by lodging a concrete offer for him ahead of the summer transfer window opening.
Hay, who was speaking days after Leeds secured their Premier League safety on the latest episode of The Phil Hay Show, had this to say about Raphinha’s future:
“I think Raphinha will go. I do think he will go this summer – provided somebody pays enough money. And again, there was a relegation buyout clause in his deal; there isn’t a buyout clause in the Premier League.
“So they get to dictate the price, do Leeds, and that is really important when it comes to replacing him, but also for your budget.”
Would Lang be a good replacement for Raphinha?
Yes!
No!
TIF Thoughts on Raphinha’s future…
While it will be a major blow for Leeds if they were to lose Raphinha, it is difficult to stand in the way of someone who just finished the season with 11 goals and three assists who is attracting interest from a Champions League club, while Leeds themselves only managed to finish 17th in the Premier League.
It appears that a move to Barcelona is pretty much inevitable given that his agent is a friend and long-time servant at Barcelona in Deco, and that Sky Sports has also claimed that the winger himself wishes to make a switch to the continent, but after the role he played in keeping Leeds up, he will surely leave with only good wishes.