Leeds United senior reporter Graham Smyth has shared a transfer twist regarding Barcelona’s payment for £55m winger Raphinha.
Latest Leeds news in international break
The Whites headed into the current international break following a 2-2 Championship draw with Sunderland, a game in which there was an injury-time blunder from goalkeeper Illan Meslier. The Frenchman’s bizarre mishap cost Daniel Farke’s side two points to go joint top of the table, however, Farke has reportedly already decided that Meslier will start for Leeds against Sheffield United when club football returns.
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Elsewhere, Leeds have been dealing with an injury crisis in recent weeks, with the likes of Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev joining the Thorp Arch treatment list.
Farke has revealed that he hopes to have Daniel James back available for the game against Sheffield United and an injury update on Manor Solomon has claimed the Israel international has stayed with the Whites despite seemingly being called up for his country.
On the transfer front, Eintracht Frankfurt look likely to exercise their option to sign Rasmus Kristensen from Leeds for up to £10m, and there has been another transfer claim involving Raphinha.
Leeds transfer latest on Barcelona payment for Raphinha
Reports from Spain in recent days have suggested that Barcelona still owe Leeds United for the signing of Raphinha. It was claimed that £469,000 was due in the short term and a long-term total of £35.2m, however, Smyth has been told differently by a Leeds source. Writing for The YEP on Wednesday, Smyth said that Leeds are not due a windfall from Barcelona for Raphinha who they sold for up to £55m with add-ons.
“Leeds are not due a windfall from the 27-year-old. Club sources have told the YEP that Barcelona do not owe them an outstanding debt for Raphinha. It is possible however that the current LaLiga leaders may well owe a creditor for money secured in order to purchase him and that is why their June 2024 financial report listed a debt with regards to Raphinha. They may also owe smaller amounts to Sporting de Portugal, Stade de Rennais and Vitoria.”
Raphinha has also been in the news this week to talk about his relationship with legendary Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa, who Luis Suarez has recently criticised for his man-management style.
“In my opinion, I think everyone has a difficult side to deal with, they have a very complicated side to dealing with people or situations”, said Raphinha on Bielsa.
“I guess, in my opinion, everyone is different. Everyone has difficulty managing something at a certain point. I don’t know what happens in the Uruguay team, what I know is what happened to me in Leeds.
“I had good times and bad times with him, naturally, like a big family, for example. I was with a lot of people inside the house, naturally conflicts will happen, good times and bad times will happen. I believe that within football, in a club, in a national team, it ends up being the same. There are moments that are good, there are moments that are not so good.
“Personally, I had my good moments and my bad moments with him, but I can only be grateful for everything I am today, for almost everything I am today. Where I am today was thanks to him.
“I just have to thank him for everything I experienced with him in these two years. It was a year and a half that I lived with him. We had our frictions; we had our fights. Some uglier than others, but we had a lot of good moments too. As I told you, I think that inside your house not everything is roses.”