In a recent tweet, renowned journalist Gianluigi Longari has mentioned that Manchester City are locked in a three-way battle for Leeds United winger Raphinha this summer. It is understood that Man City will have to compete with Manchester United and Liverpool in pursuit of the Brazilian wing wizard but the Whites are unwilling to let him go during this summer transfer window.
Confirmed. Liverpool lead the race for #Raphinha but also Manchester United and Manchester City are following the winger. Not a simple deal cause Leeds want to keep him. #LFC #LUFC #MUFC #MCFC @tvdellosport https://t.co/Pj7ziC5apy
— Gianluigi Longari (@Glongari) June 3, 2021
Raphinha’s Excellent Form In English Football This Season
It has been an impressive debut season from Raphinha at Elland Road as he managed to find a run of consistency with his contributions in the attacking third. The Brazilian wide player has registered eight goals and 11 assists in 38 matches for the West Yorkshire outfit this term across all competitions.
The 24-year-old deserves a pat on the back for averaging 1.1 tackles, 1.0 interceptions, 0.9 clearances, 2.2 shots, 1.3 crosses, 2.1 key passes and 1.9 dribbles per game in the Premier League this season. However, he needs to improve his accuracy when distributing possession in the opponent’s half based on his pass completion rate of 72.3% in the English first division (stats via whoscored).
Raphinha is playing some of the best football of his young career, so it will be a massive coup for Man City if they can bring him to the Etihad Stadium when the summer transfer window reopens later this month.
Will Raphinha Be The Right Fit For Man City This Summer?
Raphinha is blessed with a blistering pace that allows him to breeze past his marker in the final third. He can turn on the afterburners to get to the byline and can whip in some dangerous crosses into the opposition penalty box.
The Brazilian sensation has added plenty of goals and assists to his game which has made him such a success story in the Premier League over the past ten months. He is also not afraid to work hard for his side on the defensive end of the field.
We can expect Raphinha to be a great fit for Man City as he ticks all the right boxes in terms of what Pep Guardiola wants from his wingers. There is no doubt that the Leeds United star will add a lot of quality to the Spanish head coach’s attack. Moreover, Raphinha will increase competition for places within the Man City squad. At 24, the Brazilian could grow into a top talent under Guardiola’s expert stewardship if the Premier League champions can find a way to win the race for his services in this off-season.
