Liverpool are reportedly ready to make their move for Leeds United winger Raphinha, according to a report from Spanish outlet Sport.
The lowdown: Premier League revelation
Since joining the Whites in 2020 from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes for £17m (BBC), the Brazil international has been nothing short of sensational for the Yorkshire club.
The 25-year-old has proven to be very effective in the final third, having amassed 17 goals and 11 assists in 66 outings in England, earning a first call-up for his national team as a result.
After narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the 2021/22 season, it has appeared as though a move could be in the offing for some time, with Barcelona having been the frontrunners. However, that could now be set to change...
The latest: Liverpool in the hunt for Raphinha
As per Sport, Liverpool remain at the forefront of those waiting to sign Raphinha this summer, as Jurgen Klopp still 'wants' to bring the 25-year-old to the AXA Training Centre.
It's claimed that, were it not for the nine-cap forward's agent Deco - a Barcelona icon in his playing days - the skilful Brazilian 'would have already signed' for either the Reds or Chelsea.
The report added that it's 'mainly Liverpool' with a chance of making the deal happen should the Catalan giants fail to reach a €65m (£58m) agreement for the dazzling attacker, who has been called a 'magician' by his club colleague Daniel James.
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The verdict: Go get him
With Mohamed Salah's Anfield future appearing more perilous than ever, FSG should be making immediate provisions to replace the Egyptian superstar and capitalise on the procrastination from Spain in the process.
Predominantly operating as a left-footed right-winger in a similar vein to the 30-year-old, Raphinha has certainly shown the early signs of being able to emulate the levels reached by the Liverpool superstar as he approaches the peak of his own powers.
Last season, the Brazilian scored 11 times and registered three assists in 35 Premier League outings for a struggling Leeds side, winning 5.2 duels, completing 1.8 successful dribbles and making 1.9 key passes per game whilst earning a 6.97 Sofascore rating.
Somewhat surprisingly, those statistics from Raphinha are a close match for Salah, indeed even better on certain fronts. The Egypt supremo only won 2.9 duels, completed 1.5 successful dribbles and made 1.8 key passes per top-flight match in 2021/22, statistics which would further endear Klopp to the potential capture of the Elland Road star.
As things stand, the signs all point towards the 30-year-old running down his deal on Merseyside. As such, signing Raphinha now would be a shrewd move in order to ensure that a natural succession plan is in place.
In other news, a transfer expert has dropped a key Liverpool claim. Read more here.