Leeds United defender Diego Llorente believes Raphinha will be a star for Barcelona if he joins the Catalans this summer.
The Brazilian winger was the standout performer at Elland Road this season, with a string of brilliant performances crucial to the club escaping relegation. His tenure at the club looks to be coming to an end, with Barcelona making him their priority acquisition for the summer transfer window.
Numerous rumours from Spain claim that Raphinha is eager to complete the transfer and has even informed Leeds that he will go to whatever extent to make it happen.
The Catalan giants are in a fragile financial position and are now unable to meet Leeds’ demands for their star player, which are said to be about €40 million. If he does depart, Llorente believes he can light up the Nou Camp in the same way he did Elland Road.
While speaking to the Spanish news outlet, the defender said, ”He’s a player who is a typical winger with an edge, which is becoming more and more difficult to find.”
“He’s not afraid to face the opponent again and again. He has a lot of skills. Because of the style of the Premier League, where there is more space than the Spanish League, he stands out a lot. I am very grateful for his work and professionalism.”
“Of course, he has the skills to do it (shine for Barcelona), then all parties must understand each other to benefit all of us. But I see his qualities for a top club.”
AUTHOR VERDICT
Raphinha has time and time again shown that he is a class apart, and that will again be the case if he moves to Barcelona this summer. Although, from a Leeds’ perspective – it’s necessary to play hardball till the due valuation is not met. The Brazilian is infact worth much more than that…
