Liverpool have reportedly held a long-term interest in Raphinha, and now a new update has emerged on the pursuit of the player as the summer transfer window enters it's second week.
What's the latest?
According to The Mirror, Liverpool remain keen to sign Leeds United winger Raphinha this summer.
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As per the report, the Reds are joined by Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign the Brazilian winger but it has been claimed that the signing of Darwin Nunez could ease Liverpool's pursuit of the player, at least for the meantime.
Salah 2.0
Liverpool are in a risky situation as Sadio Mane will be imminently announced as a Bayern Munich player and Mohamed Salah's contract extension is still in limbo for the time being, so securing a deal for Raphinha could quite easily be a justified move for the Kopites in preparation for the worst-case scenario.
Jurgen Klopp could even unearth his next Salah by signing the Leeds star this summer and it would certainly take the pressure off the club's shoulders if they have a replacement raring to go should the Egyptian decide to part company with Liverpool in 12 months' time by leaving on a free transfer.
The 25-year-old ranks seventh for key passes and sixth for passes completed into the box out of the top ten players in the Premier League, proving that he is more than capable of offering lots of creativity and link-up play, both attributes Klopp loves to see from his attacking players at Liverpool.
Raphinha is the third highest-rated player in the Leeds United squad as per SofaScore, and it's not hard to see why when you consider his impact on his side in the Premier League last term.
The £60m star scored 11 goals, contributed three assists and created ten big chances. He also made 1.9 key passes, 1.5 tackles and took 2.2 shots on average per game, all while prevailing in 5.2 duels per match, proving that he is an absolute nightmare for his opponents.
Former Leeds United striker Jermaine Beckford had high praise for the player in an interview with Sky Sports which aptly summed up why Liverpool should be in the market for his services.
“He’s so exciting. He’s electric and very lively, as Patrick Bamford said,” Beckford said.
“I love the confidence he plays with. He plays with no restrictions. I can’t fault the guy, I think he’s brilliant."
With all considered, Liverpool could sign him and inject a new Premier League experienced perspective into the forward line alongside newcomer Nunez but they will need to compete with a number of clubs to secure his signature this summer.