Pete O’Rourke believes that PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo would be the perfect replacement for Raphinha at Leeds United.
According to reports, the Brazilian winger is set to leave Elland Road this summer, with Chelsea’s £60 million bid accepted by Leeds, according to Fabrizio Romano. Romano also stated, however, that Raphinha is waiting for Barcelona, who submitted a €50 million, plus €10 million in add-ons bid, to seal their move.
It creates quite the dilemma for Leeds, who look almost certain to lose their star man, and, with that said, will need to find a replacement. According to O’Rourke, Gakpo would be the prefect target, telling GiveMeSport:
“I think he’s got all the attributes to maybe replace Raphinha. He’s young with huge potential and great figures in the Eredivisie with PSV with goals and assists, and that’s what the Leeds hierarchy will be looking to bring in to replace Raphinha because obviously he had a lot of goals and assists as well.
“So big boots to fill but someone like a Cody Gakpo could be somebody who could step into those.”
TIF Thoughts on O’Rourke’s Comments…
Is O’Rourke right? Is Gakpo good enough to replace Raphinha? Let’s take a look at the stats. As per Squawka, Gakpo lost possession less, had a higher conversion rate, and completed more take-ons with a higher success rate than Raphinha. And, although there’s a difference in quality between the Eredivisie and the Premier League, the numbers are still impressive.
At just 23, too, Gakpo still has plenty of time to improve even more. In fact, it could be argued that a move to the Premier League is exactly what he needs to take that crucial jump up. The World Cup is at the end of this year. If Gakpo is a regular Premier League starter come the time to submit the squads, then he could be considered.
Replacing Raphinha will not be easy, but it must be the priority this summer. His goals and performances single-handedly kept Leeds afloat at times last season, which, in turn, has earned him a potential big move.