Raphinha could yet remain a Leeds United player heading into 2022/23.

What's the talk?

That's according to a report by Brazilian publication UOL (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite the interest of both Barcelona and Chelsea in a £60m move for the 25-year-old, there is now a realistic possibility that the winger could remain a part of Jesse Marsch's side beyond the end of the summer transfer window.

The report goes on to state that, due to the Brazil international's preference for a move to the LaLiga side - who are, at present, yet to agree a fee with the Whites regarding a deal for the forward - Raphinha could well travel to Australia with the rest of the Leeds squad on the 10th of July for their pre-season tour.

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Raphinha has been for Leeds since his £17m move to LS11 back in October of 2020, in addition to the fact that the Brazilian is very much one of the supporters' favourites at Elland Road, the suggestion that the winger could yet remain with Marsch's side heading into the new Premier League campaign is sure to have left the Leeds faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 30 Premier League appearances in his debut campaign, the £40.5m-rated talent was in electric form for the Whites, scoring six goals, registering nine assists and creating 12 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.2 shots, making 2.1 key passes and completing 1.9 dribbles per game.

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These returns saw the 25-year-old average an incredibly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.14, not only ranking him as Marcelo Bielsa's second-best outfielder in the league but also as the joint 30th-best performer in the division as a whole.

The £63k-per-week forward once again caught the eye over his 35 top-flight outings in 2021/22, bagging 11 goals, providing three assists and creating ten big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.5 shots, making 1.9 key passes and completing 1.8 dribbles per fixture.

These metrics saw the former Stade Rennais starlet earn a SofaScore match rating of 6.97, ranking him as Marsch's second-best outfielder in the league - playing a starring role in the Whites securing their Premier League status last season.

As such, considering the fact that Victor Orta has already secured a number of impressive signings in the summer transfer window - including the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca, Tyler Adams and Luis Sinisterra - the prospect of Raphinha linking up with this glut of new talent next season is sure to be an incredibly tantalising one for Leeds supporters - with UOL's latest update sure to have delighted everyone involved with the club.

AND in other news: "We can say that..": Italian journo drops big Leeds transfer update, Orta surely livid