Chelsea register interest in signing Leeds United winger Raphinha in the summer
According to transfer expert Gianluigi Longari (h/t Daily Mail), Chelsea have registered an interest in signing Leeds United winger Raphinha in the summer, after his blistering start to life so far in the Premier League.
The 25-year-old only moved to Elland Road in 2020 but has taken to life in England like a duck to water, terrorising opposition defences. Most forwards see a downturn in form and confidence after moving to a fast and physical competition like the Premier League, but the Brazilian seems to have skills that suit well to the demands of the English top-flight.
This season, the winger has been a standout performer for Leeds, scoring eight times in the league so far. Marcelo Bielsa seems to have a gem on his hands and will be keen to keep him away from other rival clubs in the summer and make him commit to a long-term contract with Leeds to secure his future at the club.
Chelsea are not the only club keen on signing the winger, with London rival West Ham also looking to strike a deal with Leeds to secure Raphinha’s signature at the end of the season. Hammers manager David Moyes has identified the Brazilian as a ‘priority signing‘ in the summer.
Summer battle for Raphinha
The Brazilian has seen his stock in world football rise since his move to the Premier League. His performances even saw him called up for the Brazilian national team, taking his talents to the international stage. Raphinha only seems to get better each week and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Despite Chelsea registering an interest in signing the 25-year-old, a summer move is more likely as the player will likely remain at Leeds in January. With only a day left for the winter transfer window to close, it may be too late for a move for Raphinha at this stage.
Raphinha has become a fan favourite at Elland Road and is easily one of the best players to have ever played under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds. The club is well aware of what the Brazilian means to them and consider him a valuable asset. Therefore, any potential move will require lengthy and expensive negotiations with Leeds.
While the winger has been taking the Premier League by storm, Chelsea seems to have no one in their squad to have made the same impact this season as Raphinha has. Although we boast of a wealth of attacking talent, we cannot pick out any one player as our regular outlet for goals.
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With a contract at Bielsa’s side until 2024 and a possibility to extend the deal, Leeds are looking to go all out to retain their player, willing to offer him a pay-rise to do so. With West Ham also looking to steal the player away from Elland Road in the summer, we could soon see a bidding war for Raphinha.
Chelsea offers Raphinha the more exciting project, with the chance to win silverware and play in the Champions League. Hopefully, the player is ambitious enough to take a chance on us and secure a move to Stamford Bridge, as we would only benefit from a winger like him in our squad.