Former Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder Deco has said that Leeds United’s summer signing Raphinha is one of a kind.
The Brazilian attacker arrived at Elland Road as a European deadline day signing, costing the Premier League club £16.72m from Ligue 1 side Rennes.
A move which took Leeds’ summer spending close to the £100m mark, it saw the 22-year-old added to the Whites’ attacking options, which include the likes of Helder Costa, Jack Harrison and emerging young talent Ian Poveda.
Having only played 15 minutes since his arrival in Yorkshire, Raphinha is already gaining praise from a number of key football men with two-time Champions League winner Deco now giving his thoughts on the winger’s potential.
What has Deco said about Raphinha?
“Raphinha is a warrior boy, with a difficult history, he won everything on the wrist and still wins, because he still has a long career ahead of him,” the ex-Portugal midfielder told UOL.
“It is not easy for a player to transfer practically four times in an interval of two years, all because of his quality. Although we have many extremes in Brazilian football, I do not believe that there is another southpaw with his characteristics.”
Prior to his Leeds move, Raphinha had moved from his native Brazil and had no fewer than three different clubs including Vitoria Guimaraes, Sporting Lisbon and Rennes.
Will Raphinha make an impact at Leeds?
Under the management and guidance of Marcelo Bielsa, the 23-year-old arguably has the best chance to make an impact in English football and Europe.
Leeds have started the Premier League season in fine form, and whilst Jack Harrison and Helder Costa continue to hold down the wide positions, chances are expected to come to allow Raphinha to potentially make an impact.
For now, the youngster has to be patient, but Deco’s comments hint at the scale of his potential.
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