Fabrizio Romano reveals huge Leeds United development, supporters will be devastated - opinion

Leeds United winger Raphinha is in advanced negotiations regarding a move away from Elland Road this summer.

That’s according to a claim made by Fabrizio Romano, with the transfer insider revealing in a recent post on Twitter that Barcelona are now in advanced discussions with Deco – the 25-year-old’s agent – concerning a move to Barcelona at the end of the current campaign.

The journalist went on to state that, while discussions with the Brazilian are progressing quickly, official talks with Leeds regarding the forward’s transfer are yet to begin, with these negotiations expected to take a considerable amount of time.

Speaking about Barcelona’s interest in Raphinha, Romano said: “Barcelona are in well-advanced talks with Deco for Raphinha as [a] summer target since one month, but the official negotiation with Leeds won’t start now – it will take some time.”

While it would appear likely that, should Raphinha indeed go on to leave Leeds this summer, the Whites would be in line to receive a considerable fee for the 25-year-old – with it being reported that Victor Orta has informed Barca they will have to pay the winger’s €75m (£62.5m) release clause in order to prise him away from Elland Road – the news that the Brazil international looks to all but have agreed personal terms with the LaLiga side will nevertheless leave supporters devastated.

Indeed, over his 27 Premier League appearances this season, the £36m-rated sensation has been in breathtaking form for Leeds, scoring nine goals, registering three assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.7 shots and making 2.1 key passes per game – which see him rank first in Jesse Marsch’s squad in both metrics.

These returns have