Marcelo Bielsa on Leeds United's capture of 'complete player' Raphinha as comparisons are drawn to Liverpool stars

LEEDS United chairman Andrea Radrizzani was beaming with pride about his football club as he attended Barcelona's Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.
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As part of an unlikely pairing, the Whites owner featured in an Instagram video by UFC icon Khabib Nurmagomedov.

As the martial arts star took a panoramic video of the iconic Camp Nou stadium, Radrizzani then came into shot holding his own phone showing footage of his own club.

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"Andrea, how are you? You promote your club?" asked Khabib. "Always!" said Radrizzani.

STAR QUALITY: Leeds United's Brazilian winger Raphinha fires home the only goal of the game in November's 1-0 win at Everton. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images.STAR QUALITY: Leeds United's Brazilian winger Raphinha fires home the only goal of the game in November's 1-0 win at Everton. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images.
STAR QUALITY: Leeds United's Brazilian winger Raphinha fires home the only goal of the game in November's 1-0 win at Everton. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images.

"One day we will be Champions League!

The footage playing on Radrizzani's phone showed one Whites star in particular: Raphinha.

Potentially United's brightest star of all and a winger who has made a huge impression since his October switch from Rennes having already produced four goals and five assists in just 18 games.

Yet Leeds were always confident they had signed a player ready to hit the ground running and Marcelo Bielsa has hailed the work of director of football Victor Orta and his extensive and thorough evaluation of the Brazilian winger.

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Not many clubs were as busy as newly-promoted Leeds during the summer transfer window and one new face in particular has stood out since.

With the swoops of record signing Rodrigo, Robin Koch and Diego Llorente already in the bag - plus the permanent captures of Illan Meslier and Helder Costa - Leeds went in one last time on October 5 - summer transfer deadline day.

At a cost of £17m, in came 23-year-old Brazilian winger Raphinha from Rennes - a player who had impressed at Vitória Guimarães, Sporting Lisbon and Rennes but who was ultimately unproven at the top level.

But four and a half months on, £18m is looking like a snip for the 24-year-old Whites ace, something that Whites striker Patrick Bamford commented on following last week's 2-0 win at home to Crystal Palace.

"Raphinha is brilliant," said Bamford to Sky Sports.

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"I think, to be honest, he has been a steal for Leeds. I am surprised.

“As soon as he came in, you saw him in training, you know sometimes with players whether they are good or they are top class, and he really was. He stood out straightaway.

“I am surprised that bigger teams, more established Premier League teams I should say, haven’t taken a punt on him because he really is someone special, and he is young.”

Reports over the last week have suggested that Liverpool and now Manchester United are taking an interest in Raphinha with a view to launching a possible bid in the summer.

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Given his scintillating displays and still huge potential for more, who wouldn't want the Brazilian winger?

Yet Raphinha is United's man who signed a four-year-deal when joining on transfer deadline day and Leeds quite simply got in there first.

The fact, says head coach Bielsa, that Leeds purchased a player who was clearly 'Premier League ready' was down to director of football Orta.

The rest has been down to an immensely talented player.

"Victor has a way of doing things which is very extensive and he's very thorough in how he goes into the minute details," Bielsa said.

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"An evaluation was done on Raphinha like we do in all players we sign and I know this evaluation of players has been happening a few years now.

"Why has Raphinha done so well for Leeds? He's had the opportunity to see what the Premier League is all about and then been able to do what's required of him.

"He's a player with physical, technical and mental resources which have allowed him to compete and has good physical attributes for his position.

"He's quick and he can sustain that over a long distance.

"Raphinha is also a winger who can dribble and knows when to attack the space in behind.

"He's a complete player."

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Speaking after seeing Raphinha once again exceled in the victory against Crystal Palace, former Liverpool star and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher was equally effusive in his praise.

Comparisons were even made to Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Raheem Sterling - and the immediate impact that former Reds ace Xabi Alonso had on the Anfield dressing room upon his arrival from Real Sociedad in 2004.

"We’ve all been there as players and as soon as someone comes in, you think: ‘Aye, aye’," said Carragher on Monday Night Football.

"Some of his touches and his play when he comes inside, we’ve highlighted his movement as well.

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"I was really impressed with him when I watched him at Leicester last weekend as well, not just by Raphinha, but Bamford as well.

"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.

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"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."

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Thank you Laura Collins