Brazilian football expert Tim Vickery has suggested Raphinha may be tempted to stay at Leeds United if he cannot land his dream move to Barcelona. The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Spain and has reportedly agreed personal terms, but the financially-strapped club are seemingly unable to meet Leeds’ demands and have gone quiet in recent days.
That allowed Arsenal to take pole position in the race for the winger, and they tabled an opening bid yesterday evening (Tuesday, June 21) - the first official bid made by any club. Those in charge at Elland Road are already in the process of rejecting the offer which, although the exact value is unknown, falls some way short of the £60million valuation.
It is understood that Raphinha would not cause trouble in forcing a move to Arsenal, or other interested clubs including Tottenham and Chelsea, as his dream is to play in the Nou Camp. But with Barcelona hesitant and playing time guaranteed at Elland Road, Vickery has suggested there may be a ‘temptation’ to stay in West Yorkshire.
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“In the case of Raphinha, if Barcelona can do it - and we don’t know if they can - but if they can it’s hard to say no, so that’s a push factor pushing him out.” Vickery told TalkSPORT . “In Raphinha’s shoes, if it’s not Barcelona there must be a temptation just to stay put, because of the World Cup. Normally, go, but let’s not rock the boat.”
The former Rennes man has cited regular football as a significant deciding factor in any summer decisions, as he looks forward to the 2022 Qatar World Cup later on in the year. Raphinha has become a vital part of Tite’s squad since making his debut in October, but understands he must keep playing regularly if he is to retain his prominence this winter.
“Knowing that there are less than six months left for the Cup, you have to be active in the clubs, that weighs on the decision, but I trust my potential.” Raphinha said at the start of June, as reported by Globo. “If it's to stay or leave, I'll do my best, look for my space and I'll try to be well for the World Cup.
”I have a contract with Leeds until 2024, my future is in the hands of Deco and Leeds, I have my mind on the national team, on the game and also on my vacation, we need a vacation. I have a contract with Leeds and this issue is resolved by my manager, when something is right, he sends [it to] me."
That is not guaranteed by any means at Arsenal, with fan-favourite Bukayo Saka occupying the right-wing, while a combination of Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith-Rowe are deployed on the left. Raphinha will play week-in, week-out at Elland Road if he decided to stay, and with a good World Cup behind him could be more in demand than ever come next year.
If that becomes the case, Leeds must tie the winger down to a new contract with a release clause inserted. Raphinha’s current deal runs out in 2024 and if the club fail to act then the player’s price next summer - with just one year left - will drop by at least a third.
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