Leeds United have made four additions to their first-team squad during the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business last month.
Joe Rodon, Alex Cairns, Jayden Bogle, and Joe Rothwell have all come through the door to bolster Daniel Farke‘s options across the pitch, with a centre-back, a goalkeeper, a right-back, and a midfielder added.
One area of the pitch the Whites are yet to make an addition in, however, is the final third as they have yet to pounce on a winger or a striker to improve their forward line.
The West Yorkshire outfit have, though, been linked with attackers throughout the summer transfer window and one of them could be their next version of Raphinha.
Raphinha’s magical play for Leeds
The Whites signed the Brazilian wizard from Rennes in the summer of 2020 under Marcelo Bielsa and he hit the ground running at Elland Road in the Premier League.
Across two seasons in the top-flight with Leeds, Raphinha showcased his ability to make a big impact in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
|
Raphinha |
20/21 Premier League |
21/22 Premier League |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
30 |
35 |
|
Goals |
6 |
11 |
|
Assists |
9 |
3 |
|
Big chances created |
12 |
10 |
|
Key passes per game |
2.1 |
1.9 |
As you can see in the table above, the South American right winger chipped in with 17 goals and 12 assists in those two campaigns to help his side avoid relegation both times.
Raphinha then completed a £55m move to Barcelona in the summer of 2022 and Leeds could finally replace the magician by landing another South American sensation who operates on the right flank.
Leeds’ new Raphinha
In June, it was reportedly in the Brazilian media, via the Yorkshire Evening Post, that Leeds are keen on a deal to sign Fluminense forward Jhon Arias this summer, who had been the subject of a £14m offer from West Ham United at the time.
The 26-year-old ace has only produced one goal and two assists in ten Serie A matches this term but his form throughout 2023 and 2022 suggests that the potential is there for him to be a fantastic signing.
Like Raphinha, Arias is a South American right winger who could provide Leeds with a consistent stream of quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
|
Jhon Arias |
2022 Serie A |
2023 Serie A |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
33 |
29 |
|
Goals |
7 |
7 |
|
Assists |
10 |
7 |
|
Big chances created |
15 |
4 |
|
Key passes per game |
2.2 |
2.0 |
As you can see in the table above, the Fluminense forward racked up an eye-catching 14 goals and 17 assists across those two seasons
in the Serie A – two more direct goal contributions than Raphinha managed in the Premier League.
These statistics suggest that the Colombian whiz, who was described as an “unsung hero” by South American writer Nathan Joyce, has the quality to make a huge impact at the top end of the pitch.
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The Whites are one of a number of teams interested in signing the Championship whiz.
Arias could arrive at Elland Road and be a Raphinha-esque figure on the right flak diue to his ability to both score and assist goals at an impressive rate, which is why Farke should swoop to land his own version of the Brazilian ace this summer.
