Leeds United Winger Is On The Radar Of Barcelona: What Should Be Marsch’s Play?

In a recent report, The Telegraph stated that Leeds United winger Raphinha is on the radar of Barcelona. It has been claimed that the Catalan outfit are ready to step up their pursuit of the Whites attacker this summer.

Raphinha’s Up And Down Season At West Yorkshire

Raphinha is having a decent campaign at Elland Road but has failed to help his team be consistent in terms of getting results in the Premier League. The Brazilian talent has participated in 32 matches for the West Yorkshire club this season, netting ten goals and grabbing three assists across multiple competitions.

The 25-year-old has been a reliable performer for Leeds in the final third as he is averaging 2.5 shots, 1.9 key passes and 2.0 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Premier League. However, he needs to improve his distribution in the final third based on his pass success rate of 68.4% in the English first division (stats via whoscored).

What Should Be Leeds United Boss Jesse Marsch’s Play With Regards To Raphinha’s Future?

Raphinha excels at creating a yard of space for himself to get a few strikes in at goal. He can shoot the ball with power and precision from long range. Raphinha has mostly been unleashed on the right flank by Jesse Marsch of late. However, he is versatile enough to play as a left-winger or act as a centre-forward down the middle if required.

More importantly, the Brazilian wing wizard has got the pace to cause a lot of headaches for the opposition centre-backs. He can even cross the ball really well from the wide areas.

Thus, Leeds simply cannot afford to lose him even if a top club like Barca end up moving in for the player this summer. At 25, Raphinha is enjoying his prime years which makes him a valuable member of Jesse Marsch‘s match-day squad.

The Whites head coach should try everything in his power to keep hold of the Brazilian speedster beyond this summer. However, if the Yorkshire giants fail to retain their Premier League status this season, it will be very difficult for them to keep Raphinha at Elland Road.