In a recent interview with Football Insider, Gabriel Agbonlahor tipped Liverpool to move in for Leeds United star Raphinha if Mohamed Salah leaves the Merseyside club this summer. Agbonlahor said,
“I think he would be a good player for Liverpool.
“His better football is on the right and that position is taken up by Salah. Would they think ‘Salah can go then, we can get £30million, £40million with a year left on his contract.
“I don’t see any top team not looking to sign Raphinha, I rate him that highly.
“He would be perfect for Liverpool but would Leeds want to sell him? Without him this season (2021-22) they would have definitely gone down.
“They might not want to sell him and will they try and make him too expensive for clubs to afford?”
Raphinha’s Up And Down Season At Elland Road
Raphinha had a tough campaign with the Whites last season when he struggled to be productive with his performances in the final third. The 25-year-old managed to score 11 goals and secure three assists in 36 matches for Leeds in the previous campaign on all fronts.
The nine-time Brazil international did well to average 1.5 tackles, 2.5 shots, 1.9 key passes and 1.8 dribbles per game in Premier League football. However, he was a bit careless at times with his ball distribution in the opponent’s half after making 69.3% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).
Is Raphinha A Good Choice For Liverpool?
Raphinha can use his pace and agility to breeze past his marker out on the wide areas. He can strike the ball purely and with a lot of venom which makes him a threat from long range.
The Brazilian sensation is a decent crosser of the ball as well and can set up some inviting opportunities for his teammates in the final third. However, he has to find a way to be more consistent with his end product and even work on improving his link-up play in the opposition half.
Raphinha could be a good choice for the Reds if they end up losing Mohamed Salah this summer. However, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp’s main priority should be to retain Salah’s services as he is far more prolific and knows what it takes to win at Anfield.
The Merseyside outfit should still consider signing Raphinha if they end up cashing in on Salah in this off-season. At 25, the Brazilian talent has got what it takes to become a success story at a top club like Liverpool as long as he continues to take strides towards improving his overall game with each season.
