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Leeds Utd told who’s to blame amid claim Raphinha exit is now inevitable

Leeds United winger Raphinha with hands on hips

Leeds United have been told why not even appointing Pep Guardiola as their new manager would stop Raphinha from leaving this summer.

The Whites have turned to American Jesse Marsch to stave off relegation this season. The 48-year-old succeeded fan favourite Marcelo Bielsa after the club’s on-field tactics unravelled in dramatic fashion this season.

Indeed, Leeds shipped 20 goals in February – a new record for a calendar month in the Premier League.

Injuries played a part with the absences of Patrick Bamford and Kalvin Phillips in particular hitting hard. However, one available player that endured a fall from grace in Bielsa’s latter days in charge was Raphinha.

The Brazilian has exploded onto the international stage and is now a regular in the Selecao frontline.

On the domestic front, Raphinha began the season with Leeds in fine form, notching eight goals in his first 16 league matches. However, a series of under-par outings saw Bielsa take the drastic action of hooking him at half-time against Everton on February 12.

That was followed up by a benching in Leeds’ biggest game of the season the following weekend – home to Manchester United.

Bielsa “disrespected” Raphinha – Agbonlahor

Now, speaking to Football Insider, chief Leeds antagoniser Gabriel Agbonlahor has claimed Bielsa is to blame for a Raphinha exit now being inevitable.

When asked what new boss Jesse Marsch can do to convince Raphinha to stay, the outspoken pundit replied: “Raphinha is gone no matter what.

Raphinha Leeds

“You could bring in Pep Guardiola and he would still go.

“He is a regular in the Brazil squad now. He will want to be playing regularly in the big boy competitions like his Brazil teammates.

“He’s been disrespected by Bielsa recently. Leaving him on the bench, bringing him off at half-time. He’s your best player, you shouldn’t be doing that.

“If I’m Raphinha, I’m 100 per cent looking to leave in the summer.”

Chelsea lead race against Barcelona for Leeds winger Raphinha this summer

Chelsea lead race against Barcelona for Leeds winger Raphinha this summer

Chelsea lead the race for Raphinha from Leeds United with Barcelona falling short

Raphinha’s current contract expires in the summer of 2024. That gives the club some breathing room regarding the winger’s future. But failing to beat the drop would almost certainly push Raphinha towards the exit door.

Given his remarkable displays when looking at the bigger picture since moving to Elland Road, there’ll be no shortage of suitors.


Jesse Marsch was leading Leipzig to ruin

Meanwhile, Leeds Utd have been told new manager Jesse Marsch had former club RB Leipzig on a collision course with disaster in a damning assessment from Germany.

Speaking to German outlet Sport Buzzer (via Sport Witness) former Bayern Munich midfielder Stefan Effenberg has sounded a stark warning to Leeds fans.

In doing so, he claimed Leipzig were heading towards a mass sell-off of their biggest names after Leipzig’s chances of securing Champions League football looked dead in the water under the American.

“The balance wasn’t right,” said Effenberg of Marsch’s time at Leipzig. “They played forward come hell or high water without taking into account the strengths of our own personnel, the score, or the opponent’s style of play.

“Chasing the ball is a good tool. But not the only one a top team needs in a wide variety of demands and situations.

“In November, December, I thought this could go really badly for Leipzig. I thought there might be a sell-out of stars in the summer.”

A similar scenario may yet unfold at Leeds if Marsch is unable to rescue their ailing season. If the Whites go down, it would appear highly unlikely they would be able to retain several of their biggest stars, most notably Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips.

According to the Athletic, boyhood Leeds fan Phillips is on board with penning fresh terms at Elland Road – but only if they remain in the Premier League.

READ MORE: Marcelo Bielsa tipped to revisit job he previously admitted he’d ‘like’ while Leeds manager