An update has emerged on Leeds United forward Raphinha, regarding interest in him ahead of the January transfer window.
What's the talk?
Italian reporter Fabrizio Romano has revealed that no clubs have agreed on a deal with the Yorkshire giants for the Brazilian winger's services.
This comes after TNT Sports reported that he is set to join Bayern Munich in January for a fee in the region of €50m.
“We had rumours during the Christmas period about an imminent move to Bayern. Someone in Brazil reported that it was a done deal with Bayern, but from what I am told, nothing has been agreed yet between Leeds and Bayern.
"It’s true that Bayern, as well as many other clubs, including Liverpool last year, are looking at Raphinha. We’re speaking about one of the best wingers in Europe, but as of now, nothing has been agreed yet."
Delighted
Leeds fans will surely be delighted with this update from Romano as it quashes the report stating that the forward will join the Bundesliga giants next month. This suggests that he is now set to remain at Elland Road, based on the evidence we have to work with as it stands, which is a major boost to Marcelo Bielsa's side.
Raphinha is the club's match-winner and his quality could be crucial to avoiding relegation back down to the Championship at the end of the season. He has the ability to score and create goals at this level, which is a talent that not many in the current squad possess.
The Brazilian is the only player in the team with more than two Premier League goals to his name this season, highlighting his importance to the side. In 16 starts, he has produced eight goals and one assist whilst averaging a WhoScored rating of 7.21 - with Liam Cooper's 6.81 the second-highest score in the squad.
This suggests that he is Bielsa's standout performer week-in-week-out, which is why losing him would be a gigantic blow. Therefore, fans will be delighted that the report claiming he is set to leave is seemingly wide of the mark, with Romano revealing that no one has agreed on anything for him.
His key contributions in the final third could win crucial points for Leeds in the coming months and it is imperative that Victor Orta is able to resist any interest if it does come about next month.
AND in other news, Bielsa can finally axe Leeds' "unsung hero" by signing 23 y/o with "unlimited energy"...