Raphinha’s agent Deco explains what REALLY happened when the winger left Elland Road — Four Four Two 15/2/24
By Matthew Holt
Raphinha left Leeds United in 2022, joining Xavi at the Nou
Camp. But why did he depart West Yorkshire?
Deco has opened the lid on the advice he gave to Barcelona
superstar Raphinha prior to his 2022 move from Leeds United.
The 27-year-old moved from Elland Road for a fee believed to
be in the region of £55m, penning a five-year deal with the Catalan giants.
Deco, acting as the winger's agent, has admitted the former
Whites winger was not short of options from other suitors across Europe, in an
exclusive interview with FourFourTwo.
"Actually, I didn’t push hard," began the
ex-Barcelona midfielder. "You know, club presidents don’t usually tell the
whole story. Raphinha was very serious and professional with Leeds.
"He had a clause that if they were relegated, his price
would drop to €20m, and he was the best player when Leeds needed him most – he
ran the most, worked the hardest, and I, as his agent, would be incapable of
influencing any player for my own benefit.
"Leeds wanted to sell Raphinha. Then bids came in, even
bigger than Barcelona’s. The owner of Chelsea [Todd Boehly] called me and
insisted a lot, putting pressure on me – he really wanted to sign Raphinha.
"But I didn’t push hard for Raphinha to leave Leeds. It
was all by mutual agreement."
With Barcelona facing financial issues, Deco admitted that
seeing Raphinha fulfil his childhood dream of playing at the Nou Camp, much
like he did, was something he was not prepared to stand in the way of.
"The only thing was that the owner of Leeds had
promised, in a desperate moment for Leeds, to sell Raphinha to Barcelona for a
certain amount," he added.
"After the club managed to avoid relegation, largely
due to Raphinha’s contribution – among other players, of course – the president
changed his stance because of Chelsea’s offer.
"I did waive my fee because I thought Raphinha deserved
to be happy where he dreamed of playing. He wanted to go to Barcelona, and
Barça wouldn’t match Chelsea’s figures. It was an effort I made so that the
player could be here."
Representing plenty of other stars in world football to
date, Deco also told FourFourTwo of the delicate responsibilities he took on
during his stint as high-profile representative.
"It was great," he admitted. "I had 10 years
as an agent, building a company from scratch. I was able to help players like
Fabinho and Raphinha.
"It’s something I’m proud of. But it’s in the past now,
as I’ve been taking on a new challenge as Barcelona’s sporting director."
