Leeds United are reportedly willing to double Raphinha’s wages in a new deal at Elland Road, but his mind is now made up on whether he will sign new terms.
The Lowdown: Raphinha’s future up in the air
The Brazilian has stood out as the Whites’ best attacking player this season, scoring nine times in the Premier League and carrying the forward line without Patrick Bamford around for much of the campaign.
However, there has been constant speculation surrounding Raphinha’s future at Leeds, with elite clubs linked with signing him, and his body language not always looking good in recent weeks.
The winger’s current deal expires in the summer of 2024 but the club are working hard on extending his stay.
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The Latest: Massive money
According to Brazilian outlet UOL [via Sport Witness], Leeds are happy to pay Raphinha almost double what he currently earns, which would take him well over £100k-a-week.
To put that into perspective, no other player at Thorp Arch earns more than £58k-a-week, per Spotrac.
However, that doesn’t appear to have turned his head following ‘concrete approaches’ from some of Europe’s biggest clubs, as he feels the £70m release clause in his current deal will harm his chances of a move.
There is now little progress being made regarding a new deal for Raphinha, with the Brazil international making his mind up that the buy clause must be reduced to give him a way out.
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The Verdict: Feels like he’s leaving
With every week that passes, it feels increasingly as though Raphinha’s heart is set on a fresh challenge this summer, especially if Leeds were to go down from the Premier League.
At 25, he is coming into the peak years of his career and he may feel as though he has come as far as he can at Elland Road, having enjoyed two excellent years there.
It would be hard to feel too bitter about Raphinha moving on given his ceiling as a player, but only if maximum effort is shown in the Whites’ battle to avoid relegation between now and May – something which hasn’t always been the case in recent weeks.
In other news, one club reportedly leads the race to sign a Leeds player this summer. Read more here.
