Leeds United will not sell Raphinha this month and have now planned talks over a new deal...

What's the word?

That's according to reliable Daily Mirror journalist David Anderson, who delivered a fresh update on the Yorkshire giants' plans for their star winger via Twitter, saying: "Leeds plan further talks with Raphinha’s agent Deco after he met Victor Orta twice before Christmas to continue contract talks over a new deal. Leeds have ruled out selling Raphinha this month."

The 25-year-old dynamo has been linked with a move away from Elland Road for quite some time, with the likes of Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich and Premier League rivals Liverpool two mooted destinations.

Huge news

The fact that the Whites plan on offering Raphinha a new deal and will not look to sell him this month is certainly a massive boost for manager Marcelo Bielsa.

In the absence of some key players, the Brazil international has emerged as one of Leeds' most important players, especially in the final third. As per WhoScored, he leads the squad for goals scored - finding the net eight times, which is nearly 40% of the team's total - as well as shots (3.1), dribbles (2.4) and key passes (1.8) per game.

That would indeed suggest that he's a major influence when it comes to their attacking play.

The £36m-rated star signed a four-year deal following his £17m move from Rennes in October 2020 and has regularly caught the eye.

Leeds' club-record signing Daniel James has lauded him as a "magician", whilst fellow teammate Illan Meslier believes he is an "unbelievable player".

Meanwhile, The Athletic's Phil Hay has previously emphasised just how valuable he is to Bielsa and United's success, saying: "Phillips is the player whom Leeds miss most but, in an attacking sense, Raphinha is consistently head and shoulders above everyone. Even aside from his touch and his vision, he has the most incredible engine."

Therefore, on the above evidence, it is going to cause some excitement amongst the Elland Road faithful following this encouraging behind-the-scenes update from Thorp Arch.

It seems as if Raphinha will, at the very least, see out the current campaign in white, thus handing the Yorkshiremen a big boost.

AND in other news, Leeds United could be set for "huge blow" amid emerging transfer report...