The Raphinha transfer saga continues to rumble on, but at this point we can say with certainty that the Brazil international will not be playing his football for Leeds United next season.
Leeds have accepted Chelsea’s £65million bid for the 25-year-old attacker, though Barcelona are reportedly working to hijack the deal.
Either way, it looks as though there’ll be a huge void to fill in Jesse Marsch’s squad this summer, with Raphinha undoubtedly the club’s best and most important player last season as they narrowly skirted relegation.
How can Leeds go about replacing such a difference-maker? Here are six options for director of football Victor Orta to consider.
Noa Lang
A name any Leeds fan that regularly browses the gossip columns will be familiar with, Lang was frequently linked with a move to Elland Road last summer but ended up staying put at Club Brugge.
The 23-year-old continued to shine in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League, notching seven goals and 12 assists, and now he’s firmly in Louis van Gaal’s plans for the Netherlands World Cup squad. He’s since confirmed his intention to leave Brugge for bigger and better things.
“Believe me: Belgium will miss me when I’m gone. I gave your football colour. Next season you will pray that there will be a Noa Lang walking around in Belgium, who can also play football so well,” he told Dutch outlet HNL last month.
“I knew who would laugh at the end. Will you see me again in Belgium? Certainly not. Only if it is to watch a Club Brugge match.”
Evidently not short of confidence, Lang has a swagger that’s arguably lacking from a Leeds squad full of well-behaved nice lads. Marsch has spoken of his desire for more “sons of bitches” on the pitch, and the Brugge winger would fit that billing.
Arsenal and AC Milan have also been linked with Lang, so it would be quite the coup for Leeds to sign him.
It’s been the young guns putting on a show for the Netherlands against Wales early on💥
This fantastic finish from Noa Lang opened the scoring, and he’s now set up Cody Gakpo for a second for the Dutch too 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/2AtHFLLzBk
— Premier Sports (@PremierSportsTV) June 14, 2022
Cody Gakpo
Similar to Lang, Gakpo would be an ambitious, statement-making move. The PSV rising star has been tipped to join a raft of clubs that can offer Champions League football, while Leeds only finished 17th last term.
But Leeds are reportedly pursuing Gakpo’s signature, and it’s a move that…
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