Man Utd have joined arch-rivals Liverpool in the race to sign Leeds United winger Raphinha, according to an Italian journalist.
Raphinha is proving to be one of the Premier League’s bargain buys this season after arriving from Rennes for £17million plus add-ons in October.
The 24-year-old Brazilian winger has scored four goals and five assists in 19 appearances in all competitions for the Yorkshire outfit.
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That has already alerted a number of clubs to his abilities with Liverpool credited with interest over the last couple of weeks.
A recent report claimed that Raphinha features at the ‘top of their shortlist’ this summer as Jurgen Klopp looks to strengthen his side.
And now Sportitalia TV journalist Gianluigi Longari claims that Man Utd have ‘joined the race’ to sign the Leeds United star.
He adds that Liverpool ‘are also following the winger for the summer’ but that Leeds are ‘keen to keep him’.
Manchester United #MUFC joined the race for Leeds star #Raphinha. Liverpool #LFC are also following the winger for the summer. #LUFC keen to keep him. #transfers @tvdellosport
— Gianluigi Longari (@Glongari) February 16, 2021
Meanwhile, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher recently admitted he had been “really impressed” by Raphinha.
“We’ve all been there as players and as soon as someone comes in, you think: ‘Aye, aye’,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.
“Some of his touches and his play when he comes inside, we’ve highlighted his movement as well.
“I was really impressed with him when I watched him at Leicester last weekend as well, not just by Raphinha, but (Patrick) Bamford as well.
“You see that shot there (before Bamford’s goal against Palace), that’s so typical of a wide man, that penetrating run that we talk about with Salah, Mane and Sterling, all the great wide players. They make that run and he does. He has great quality on the ball.
“He assisted Bamford certainly in that Leicester game when he fired that pass in and you look at his numbers there, he looks like a real player, certainly of late.
“I think we mentioned before the game that he’s been involved in seven goals in the last eight games, so he’s always a huge threat and that’s always telling when your team-mates know from one training session.
“I’ll never forget one player – as soon as Xabi Alonso came to Liverpool – it’s like you could tell in the session, the way he passed, the pace of the pass, the noise of it, as a dressing room you sort of step back and say that we’ve got one here and it sounds like that was what the Leeds dressing room did (with Raphinha).”
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