Ex-Leeds United man details Raphinha Chelsea transfer snub with 'greatest I've played with' admission
Leeds United’s former winger is enjoying the form of his life at Barcelona.
Rodrigo Moreno admits former Leeds United teammate and current Ballon d’Or favourite Raphinha is ‘one of the greatest prodigies’ he’s ever played with.
Raphinha has emerged as one of the world’s most dangerous wingers since swapping Leeds for Barcelona in a £55million deal almost three years ago, with the Brazilian currently at the peak of his powers. An incredible season at Camp Nou saw him surpass 50 goal contributions across all competitions with two goals and an assist in a 4-3 win over Celta Vigo earlier this month, while the Blaugrana won the Copa del Rey with victory over Real Madrid on Saturday.
With Barcelona also top of La Liga and into the Champions League semi-finals, Raphinha is on course to be the main man of a historic season in the Catalan capital and the 28-year-old is now favourite for the Ballon d’Or later this year. Such potential was definitely on show during a brilliant two-year spell at Elland Road but former Leeds teammate Rodrigo’s interest was piqued even earlier.
"We played a pre-season friendly against Sporting [for Valencia], and I remember in the locker room we talked about the impression Bruno Fernandes and Raphinha, whom I'd never heard of, made on us,” Rodrigo told El Mundo. “I arrived at Leeds a few months before him, and when they called his name, I remembered that game.
"He's one of the greatest prodigies I've ever played with. He's capable of repeating high-intensity actions over and over again in a match. Given what [Marcelo] Bielsa demanded, he adapted to the Premier League in an instant.”
Raphinha’s Chelsea transfer snub revealed by former Leeds United teammate
Raphinha was the star of Leeds’ ninth-placed Premier League finish under Bielsa and took on an even more important role the following campaign as those around him struggled. Relegation became a very real possibility and remained so right until the final day, where a 2-1 win at Brentford in which he scored ensured survival, sparking iconic celebrations from the much-loved Brazilian.
That season was widely expected to be Raphinha’s last at Elland Road with summer interest building, namely from Barcelona and Chelsea. Leeds accepted a bid worth up to £65m from the latter in June as Camp Nou chiefs struggled to find the funds, but that move was put on hold before an offer from Catalonia came through.
Barcelona’s offer was thought to have been significantly less, with reports of his eventual move citing a deal worth around £55m, but Raphinha made clear his desire and got what he described as a ‘dream’ move. And Rodrigo has since explained his former teammate was desperate to continue a long line of Brazilian stars at Camp Nou.
"Leeds preferred him to go to Chelsea, but he wanted to repeat the history of the Brazilians at Barcelona,” the former Leeds striker added. !He wanted to have that connection with Ronaldinho, Romario , or Neymar.”
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