‘What we can say’ - Phil Hay drops Leeds claim on 'phenomenal' gem; Orta has met with his agent

Leeds United supporters need to accept that Raphinha will move on at some point in the near future, according to reliable journalist Phil Hay.

Leeds-related news has been dominated by talk of the Brazilian’s future in recent weeks, with the player strongly linked with a move to Barcelona, and some reports that a deal has already been agreed with the Catalan giants.

The 25-year-old is Leeds’ top scorer in the Premier League this season, netting nine times and standing out as comfortably his team’s greatest attacking threat.

It remains to be seen if Raphinha will still be at Elland Road next season, and Hay has provided his thoughts on the situation.

Writing in his mailbag for The Athletic on Monday, the reliable journalist said that the winger won’t be around forever, even though there has been hope over him signing a new deal. He stated:

“First things first, Barcelona are very much interested in him. In terms of future destinations for Raphinha, they were always a prime candidate – partly because of their standing and partly because of the very strong link between the Catalan club and his agent, Deco, who spent four years there as a player in the early 2000s. What we can say at this stage is that they have not submitted any offers to Leeds.

“Around Christmas, Victor Orta and Deco met at least twice and there was plenty of optimism about Raphinha agreeing new terms. Very little has been said since then and common sense tells you that both Leeds’ brush with relegation and the change of head coach at Elland Road will have dissuaded the player from rushing into signing a longer deal. He knows he is sought-after.

“I get the feeling that the club and the fanbase are realistic enough to accept that the 25-year-old Brazilian is