In a recent interview with the Sunday People (Page 62), Stan Collymore urged his former club Liverpool to move in for Leeds United winger Raphinha this summer. Collymore said, “Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea and Barcelona have been linked with Leeds star Raphinha.
“But my message to my old club Liverpool is: get in there and get him, and future-proof for the prospect of Mo Salah leaving in a year.
“If Jurgen Klopp can show the boy how to play with tactical discipline, the Reds will have one hell of a threat down the left or right, with a promise of goals if he stays high up the pitch rather than drifting.”
Raphinha’s Campaign Of Mixed Emotions At Elland Road Recently
Raphinha had to endure a tough season with Leeds but managed to help his team avoid relegation from Premier League football. The Porto Alegre-born wing wizard found the back of the net on 11 occasions and earned three assists in 36 appearances for the West Yorkshire side in the previous campaign on all fronts.
The Brazilian sensation was consistent with his all-round contributions in the opponent’s half based on his average of 1.5 tackles, 2.5 shots, 1.9 key passes and 1.8 dribbles per game in the Premier League. However, he has to be more careful when interchanging possession in the final third, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 69.3% in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
Should Liverpool Get Raphinha On Board This Summer?
Raphinha can use his quickness and agility to make a few driving runs with the ball out on the wide positions. He is excellent when left isolated in a 1v1 situation with his marker and can strike the ball with power and accuracy from long range.
The Brazilian talent has even got the vision to cut open the opposition defence with a killer pass in the attacking end of the field. However, he has to find a way to improve his passing accuracy in the opponent’s half.
At the moment, Raphinha is playing at a high level, so Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp would be wise to listen to Collymore’s advice by getting him on board this summer.
With Mohamed Salah’s contract at Anfield set to run out next summer, it makes sense for the Reds to secure the Brazilian’s signature as he could serve as an ideal replacement for Salah if he leaves in this off-season or next year.
