Liverpool have a long-standing interest in signing Leeds United winger Raphinha but things are about to get really complicated since Manchester City might have also joined this transfer race.
Raphinha has been a standout performer for Leeds this season and over the past few weeks, we have been hearing that Liverpool are ready to dive into the market to try and sign the 24-year-old, despite Bielsa’s reluctance.
And on Wednesday, there were reports which suggested that Liverpool are preparing to make their first offer for the winger and it is expected to be in the region of £32 million.
But before the Anfield outfit could launch this bid, Manchester City have announced their interest in the Brazilian, according to Sport Italia journalist Gianluigi Longari.
He wrote on Twitter: “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.”
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
Man United are targetting Jadon Sancho from Dortmund so they will only move for Raphinha once they are sure they cannot get their hands on Sancho.
But the interest from Manchester City seems much more urgent as Pep Guardiola is looking to upgrade his squad for the next season and players like Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus could be shown the door this summer.
Leeds United brought the winger just a year ago so ideally, they will not want to sell this summer but with Man City and Liverpool interested, the Elland Road outfit might just be able to secure a £40-45 million transfer fee.
And given that Leeds had paid only £16.72 million for Raphinha, a transfer quote of above £40 million should be a good enough reason to sell.
