The high profile of Raphinha
Is it surprising that Raphinha has attracted massive interest from elite clubs this summer? Probably not. The Brazilian has enjoyed a steady rise since arriving in England from Stade Rennais in 2020. He had a stellar 2021/22 season where he scored 11 goals and produced three assists in the Premier League. The contribution of the Brazilian was essential to Leeds United retaining their Premier League status in the 2021/22 campaign,
Raphinha was able to earn himself a place on the Brazil national team. He has made nine appearances for Brazil since his debut in October last year. Tite publicly thanked Marcelo Bielsa for his work with the winger. With the World Cup in view, Tite would expect Raphinha to continue in this vein as Brazil pursues a sixth World Cup win.
The rise of Raphinha should continue, especially with a move to a high-profile club. Joining Chelsea would afford him the opportunity of playing in the Champions League. According to Romano, the move to Chelsea is nearly done. The next stage of negotiations will be with the player and his representatives. Former Chelsea midfielder Deco represents Raphinha.
The tale is not yet done, with plenty of work still to be done, but Chelsea now lead the race to sign Raphinha this summer.
