Raphinha has revealed that he only had 20 minutes to decide on his transfer to Leeds in October.
The winger has been one of Marcelo Bielsa’s star players this campaign, registering 12 goal contributions in 26 games.
Alongside Patrick Bamford and Jack Harrison in attack, he’s helped to make the Whites one of the best teams to watch in the Premier League.
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Raphinha joined Leeds from Rennes for a £17million fee on transfer deadline day.
He’s now spoken out about the deal and how quickly he had to make his decision to leave France.
Speaking to FourFourTwo, the 24-year-old said: “The board said, ‘we’ve accepted an offer from Leeds, so now it’s your call: do you want to leave or stay?’
“If I wanted to leave, there was a private flight waiting for me to go to England and undergo a medical before signing the contract.
“Well, if I said it was a simple decision I’d be lying. It was definitely a tough decision. And I had 20 minutes to give my answer! Pretty complicated, right?
“On the one hand, I’d just helped Rennes reach the Champions League for the first time in their history, and it would have been brilliant to take part in that unique campaign.
“On the other hand, I had the offer from a traditional, huge club like Leeds, who were also enjoying great momentum having returned to the Premier League.”
Raphinha was one of Rennes’ standout performers during 2019/20. He scored five goals and assisted three more as they finished third in Ligue 1, ahead of Lille, Nice and Lyon.
However, his move to Elland Road has been just as successful.
Raphinha has put in some brilliant displays this term and scored against Everton, Southampton and Newcastle.
He’s now attracting interest from Liverpool, who could target the Brazilian if Mo Salah leaves for Spain.
Speaking about the Premier League, Raphinha added: “Believe it or not, English football has always been my number one target. As long ago as I can remember, when I started watching football on TV, the Premier League was there.
“I enjoy watching English games, because it’s a special league full of tradition, great clubs, managers and players. It’s also competitive, as there are so many top-quality teams.
“My desire to play for an English club was my first thought before signing for Leeds, so you can imagine how pleased I am now wearing their shirt in the Premier League.”
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