Raphinha’s departure from Leeds United became inevitable the moment he was omitted from Jesse Marsch’s Australia squad. The saga had been going on for months, but officially ended on Friday when Barcelona announced they had signed the Brazilian for around £55million.
The interest in Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips - sold to Manchester City for £42million - dominated Leeds headlines as the elite of European football circled Elland Road and prized away its two prized assets. But underneath the current of the Phillips-Raphinha tidal wave, murmurs of interest in Jack Harrison have gathered momentum.
Tottenham Hotspur were the first club to show an interest in May, but a reported £30million price tag staved off an official approach as Antonio Conte turned to Richarlison. One team seemingly willing to consider such a price is Newcastle United, with Eddie Howe a strong admirer of Harrison and keen to spend the club’s new found wealth wisely.
