Manchester United have reportedly joined Chelsea in the race to sign Leeds United and Brazil winger Raphinha.
According to a report from Fichajes, Manchester United have entered the fray for the signing of Leeds United winger Raphinha, who is also a transfer target for Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
The 25-year-old joined Leeds United from Rennes in the summer transfer window last year and has quickly become of the most dangerous wide players in the Premier League. Having enjoyed an impressive debut season in England, Raphina looks set to better his output this campaign, having already netted eight goals in 16 league outings.
Raphinha’s exciting performances for Marcelo Bielsa’s side have meant that he has attracted the attention of who’s who in English and European football. Bayern Munich are reportedly keen on signing the Brazilian international in January. At the same time, there has been plenty of interest from PSG and Liverpool.
Chelsea have also joined the hunt to sign the five-time capped Brazilian international. The interest from the Blues comes as a surprise considering the wealth of attacking talent at the disposal of manager Thomas Tuchel. However, Christian Pulisic has struggled to perform at the expected level and has been linked with an exit from Stamford Bridge.
Hakim Ziyech, too, has not been as effective, due to which he has been in and out of the starting XI. With rumours of a January exit doing the rounds, there could be a vacancy created in the attacking unit at Chelsea, which they are seemingly looking to fill with the signing of Raphinha.
However, the west London outfit will now have to face competition from arch-rivals Manchester United, who have also thrown their hat in the rings for the signing of Raphinha. The 20-time English champions bolstered their flanks last summer with the signing of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund.
They already have Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo, Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Anthony Elanga, who are perfectly capable of playing out wide. However, Martial is expected to be on the move in January, while Lingard is also set to leave in the summer when his contract runs out at the end of the season.
In addition to that, Rashford is having a sub-par season and has struggled to make an impact for quite some time now. And with Greenwood’s future seen in the No. 9 role, there may well be room for a new wide player like Raphinha in the squad, who can provide that bit of extra zing in the final third alongside Sancho.
The Brazilian international is contracted with Leeds United until the summer of 2024. And the Whites are unlikely to give up one of their best players without a fight. So, it will be interesting to see if any of the interested clubs come up with an irresistible offer for Raphinha in the upcoming transfer windows.
