Journalist Pete O’Rourke insists that Leeds United star Raphinha does not want to leave the club in the January transfer window, despite reports linking him away from Elland Road.
The Brazil international has been heavily linked with a potential move to Bayern Munich but he may not be leaving the club just yet.
What’s the latest with Raphinha?
The winger has emerged as one of the best players in the Premier League since his move to Elland Road.
Having joined the club in 2020 from Rennes for a fee of £17m, he has gone on to make 47 appearances for them under Marcelo Bielsa.
This season, he has scored eight times in 16 games, at a rate of a goal every other game, and has also laid on one assist.
That has led to reports of a potential move to a major European club, with Bayern apparently attempting to strike a deal in January.
Liverpool have also been linked but O’Rourke has his doubts over whether the winger will attempt to leave at the turn of the year.
What did O’Rourke say?
Speaking to GiveMeSport, he said: "I don't think the player is leaving Leeds just yet. But in the summertime, if Leeds don't have the best season and are in the bottom end of the table for most of the season, Raphinha will be thinking that he wants to play at a higher level."
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Can Leeds afford to lose Raphinha?
Not really.
This is a truly exceptional player with dazzling dribbling ability, and has also added a cutting edge to his game.
He is valued at £36m by Transfermarkt but he has a lengthy contract with Leeds that runs until 2024, meaning the club do have some degree of protection when it comes to receiving a big fee for the star.
Per fbref, he has some incredible statistics and is comparable to Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus in terms of his numbers.
He is in the top 20 per cent for progressive passes, dribbles completed, expected assists, clearances, and interceptions.
The latter two clearly come down to playing in Bielsa’s system but he would be an incredible option for most top clubs across the continent.