A big claim has emerged on Leeds United and their efforts to keep Raphinha at Elland Road during the upcoming summer transfer window. 

What's the talk?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Whites are putting up a fight to ward off interest from Spanish giants Barcelona.

He tweeted:

"Not less than €55m, no payments in many years/installments. Leeds have not changed their conditions for Raphinha’s transfer. #LUFC Barcelona are in advanced talks with the player since February, but talks with Leeds are definitely not easy."

Jesse Marsch will be buzzing

Leeds head coach Jesse March will surely be buzzing with this claim for multiple reasons.

Firstly, it proves that Victor Orta is not going to be a pushover when it comes to selling the club's best players during the window. The Leeds chief will not allow Barcelona to walk over them and snap Raphinha up for a fee that does not represent a worthwhile deal.

Retaining their Premier League status on the final day of the 2021/22 campaign means that they are under no financial pressure to sell. It may have been a different story if the club were dropping down to the Championship and needed to cash in on assets to maintain their finances but that is not the case.

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Marsch will be feeling relieved knowing that Orta will not be selling Raphinha, or any of his other players, in cut-price deals that will limit the money he can spend on their potential replacements.

He will also be buzzing as this stance seemingly increases the club's chances of keeping hold of Raphinha. The Brazilian is a significant player for the Lillywhites and retaining his services would be a huge boost for the head coach.

In the Premier League, the winger produced 11 goals and three assists in 35 appearances as he dragged the team to safety with his silky skills and composed finishes. This came after he managed six goals and nine assists in his debut campaign in England, showing that he has the quality to both score and assist goals in the top-flight.

Therefore, Marsch will be delighted by the prospect of keeping him as he has the potential to be a huge player for the club again next term. He is a proven performer in the division and can be a match-winner with his quality in the final third, as shown by his impressive statistics.

AND in other news, Orta can seal "outstanding" Raphinha replacement with Leeds bid for £72k-p/w "machine"...