Leeds United have successfully got over the losses of many of their former star men from the summer, with a mass exodus from Elland Road definitely hurting Daniel Farke’s camp at the moment.
Now, there is a new freshness to proceedings at Elland Road that Farke will hope can lead to promotion from the Championship being won, with the likes of Mateo Joseph among others attempting to become new heroes for their side after the notable departures of Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville.
One new star could even end up being Leeds’ next Raphinha if everything goes to plan, with the Brazilian attacker dazzling supporters and opposition defences alike in West Yorkshire throughout his short but sweet stay at the club.
Raphinha's time at Leeds
Raphinha would have certainly been viewed as a coup when he left Ligue 1 outfit Rennes behind in 2020 for pastures new in England after the South American forward had left his lasting impression on the French top division.
With a promising return of eight goals and seven assists from 36 games playing for Rennes, Leeds must have taken a liking to the tricky footwork on display by the winger, with the decision to go after the audacious 5 foot 9 gem for a £17m transfer fee proving to be an unbelievable masterstroke.
The constantly entertaining winger would slot straight into the Leeds set-up effortlessly under Marcelo Bielsa, firing home six goals and picking up nine assists during his debut season to instantly become a firm fan’s favourite.
It was his second, and final, campaign for the Whites where he really stepped it up a gear, however, as the Brazilian notched up double digits in terms of goals with 11 top-flight strikes, leading to giants of the game such as Barcelona sniffing around for his coveted services.
Leeds wouldn’t let Raphinha leave without getting their money’s worth, as the Spanish titans splashed out a bumper £55m fee to land their desired target, as the Whites then slipped down to the Championship without their spellbinding number ten.
Now, the second-tier promotion hopefuls could have stumbled across their next Raphinha in the making in Largie Ramazani, who even faced off against the former Leeds man’s new club last season playing in La Liga.
Leeds' next Raphinha
Much like the current Barca captain managed when making the move to England, Ramazani has taken to his fresh surroundings well so far donning his new Leeds jersey.
The exciting Belgian already has two goals and an assist next to his name playing in the tough demands of the Championship from six games, including a confident breakaway strike against Cardiff City last month which opened his account for the club.
Following that up with a calm finish under pressure away at Norwich City to gift his side a share of the points at Carrow Road to start October, plenty more will be expected of the “outrageous” winger – a label that was once handed to him by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – as he becomes even more confident playing in England, potentially reaching the same heights Raphinha was once capable of.
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Equally daring on the ball and prepared to run himself into the ground like Raphinha, with an astonishing 16 attempted duels against the Canaries showing off his boundless drive, Farke will also pray that Ramazani’s capture means the more immediate void left behind by Summerville has been filled up too.
Of course, for the ex-Almeria man to fully replicate the Brazilian’s excellent spell, he will have to show off the best of his skillset in the Premier League.
Ramazani will hope that will come very shortly after his exploits play a big role in the Whites returning up to the promised land of the top-flight.
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1 ByDan EmeryOct 8, 2024