Mighty Leeds Weblog

CHELSEA have already agreed a deal with Leeds for Raphinha but Barcelona are not giving up on the Brazilian just yet... By RYAN TAYLOR Barcelona are looking to hijack Chelsea's deal to sign Leeds winger Raphinha after holding face-to-face talks with his agent Deco on Wednesday. The Blues have struck a £60million agreement with Elland Road chiefs for the Brazilian, who has been given the green light to discuss personal terms with new owner Todd Boehly and Thomas Tuchel. But it appears a move to Stamford Bridge is still no foregone conclusion as one of the biggest transfer sagas of the summer takes another unexpected twist. Raphinha is understood to favour joining Barcelona after already agreeing personal terms with the Catalan giants and they hastily called in his representative Deco for face-to-face talks to discuss the prospect of hijacking Chelsea's move. Barca remain hampered by financial difficulties off the field but still, they seem set on finding the cash to fu...

Sky Sports News senior reporter Tim Thornton examines the challenges Jesse Marsch faces with his two best players set to leave the club this summer By Tim Thornton Sky Sports News senior reporter Tim Thornton examines what's next for Leeds with stars Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips set to leave the club this summer... Leeds have been fully aware these moves could happen for a while. They even knew last summer that Marcelo Bielsa could leave the club. In January, they managed to fight off interest and keep Phillips and Raphinha and they've been planning ever since. They've already made three signings this summer in Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen and Marc Roca. Those players would have signed regardless, but there's money in the kitty now. We expect Leeds to move quickly and bring new players to the club: another midfielder, a winger and a striker to play alongside Patrick Bamford as Jesse Marsch likes to play two up front. Leeds paid £16m for Raphinha and w...

KEN BATES STILL DOESN'T HAVE ONE Written by: Steven York Leeds United’s revival is a story about a club rediscovering its soul. It wasn’t long ago that we had a fractious relationship with the organisational entity. We may have loved some of the players and admired some of the managers, but I’m struggling to think of many times in the post-relegation, pre-Bielsa era when the relationship between fan and club was particularly strong. We’ve had Ken Bates calling fans morons. We’ve (allegedly) had Massimo Cellino throwing money at ‘influencers’ on social media to push his narrative in an attempt to control how he was perceived. We’ve had multiple campaigns to rid ourselves of owners we hated (Pen4Ken, TTGM etc). Hell, trawl through the years of #toma hashtags on Twitter and you can time-travel through a history of desperate misery. There were genuine arguments about becoming Red Bull Leeds not long ago, if it bought our escape from the doldrums we were rotting in. Leeds is a f...

Premier League rivals Chelsea have become front-runners for Leeds winger Raphinha’s signature By Joe Donnohue Raphinha is on the verge of an Elland Road exit this week as reports state Leeds United have received a bid in excess of £55 million from Chelsea for the Brazil winger. The Athletic claim Stamford Bridge now appears a likely destination for the 25-year-old after Arsenal saw an offer rejected last week, while Barcelona’s interest is yet to materialise in a formal bid. Leeds value the player at over £50 million, meaning Chelsea’s purported offer comes in above the threshold outlined by the United hierarchy. A fee is close to being agreed, although the transfer saga is far from complete. Chelsea have leapfrogged Arsenal and Barcelona in the race for Raphinha’s signature, but remain interested in Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling and Ousmane Dembele, who expects to leave Camp Nou on a free transfer in the coming days. Both players bear stylistic and positional similarit...

Chelsea gatecrash Arsenal's bid to sign Raphinha and agree £60m deal for Leeds winger, with player's agent and ex-Blues star Deco at the heart of talks as they usurp London rivals at the 11th hour Chelsea have made an offer of £60million for Leeds United winger Raphinha Arsenal held talks with Leeds after their initial offer for Raphinha was rejected The 25-year-old now seems set to move to Stamford Bridge this summer Chelsea also want to sign winger Raheem Sterling from Manchester City By SIMON JONES and SAMI MOKBEL Chelsea on Tuesday gatecrashed Arsenal's bid to sign Raphinha from Leeds United with a £60million offer. Talks are advancing after Leeds accepted a bid of £55m plus add-ons with former Chelsea midfielder Deco, Raphinha's agent, at the heart of negotiations. On a frantic day, Arsenal held talks with Leeds after their initial offer of £30m plus add-ons was rejected last week and put forward a new proposal but they did not come close to Chelsea...

Leeds United welcomed back the bulk of their squad ahead of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign this week By Joe Donnohue The day upon which players return to the training ground following their summer breaks is always a milestone in any football season’s calendar. Some return sun-kissed, others sporting new hairstyles, but on the whole the mood tends to be a jovial one, focused on a fresh start. This year’s pre-season calendar already looks very different; it will be the first time in four years that Marcelo Bielsa and his crew of coaches have not welcomed the players back to Thorp Arch. Head coach Jesse Marsch greeted his squad at Leeds Beckett University before they underwent a variety of fitness tests on Monday morning. New addition Marc Roca was present, even if Leeds’ two other summer signings Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen were absent, given an additional week’s rest due to their involvement on international duty throughout June. Leeds released a gallery of...

The longer Jesse Marsch’s 12-game stint as Leeds United coach went on last season, the more the Whites started to look like a Marcelo Bielsa team – at least in terms of shape. By Stuart Rayner But given what the American inherited, 2021-22 was just about doing the necessary to stay in the Premier League. Having narrowly achieved that, the season to come will be more about doing it his way. And whilst many Leeds fans might prefer to replicate Bielsaball, at least Marsch looks like being given the tools he needs. Kalvin Phillips’s imminent departure to Manchester City, followed by Raphinha’s sale – which seems a lot more inevitable than his destination – will take away Bielsa’s two star performers. A broken leg will deprive them of stalwart Stuart Dallas, and Luke Ayling may not be back from surgery when the new campaign kicks off on August 6. Patrick Bamford seems certain to face greater competition, even beyond improving 20-year-olds Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood. The team i...

Leeds United's Under-21 side was relegated last term but several young players finished the season strongly ahead of this year's campaign By Joe Donnohue Leeds United's Under-21 setup is one brimming with talent, largely due to the club's recruitment over the past couple of seasons. Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood, Crysencio Summerville and Cody Drameh all arrived in the summer of 2020 before making their Premier League and Championship breakthroughs last season. While it is unrealistic to expect several young players capable of competing at Premier League level to blossom at the same time, the Whites' academy setup does have the potential to produce a steady stream of first-team-ready individuals. Looking ahead to the 2022/23 campaign, Leeds' Under-21 group will compete in Premier League 2 Division 2 - the second tier of Under-21 football in England. The Whites won this division in 2021, earning promotion but were subsequently relegated during their fir...

Victor Orta's shortlist of defensive midfielders stands at three but no matter the names on the list, no one can be the new Kalvin Phillips at Leeds United. By Graham Smyth Mercifully, that won't be asked of whoever Orta brings in this summer, in the wake of Phillips' now certain departure for Manchester City. News of an agreement between the English champions and the Whites was long feared and heavily expected yet still landed like a bombshell, leaving a crater that quickly became filled with sadness and concern. Losing Raphinha will be difficult because he's such a good player and so much fun to watch. Saying goodbye to Phillips, however, is different and will lead to a grieving process for fans who have watched him grow up from a box-to-box Championship midfielder to a fully fledged Premier League defensive destroyer and England international. Phillips is one of their own. Watching him dump attackers on the Etihad turf in sky blue will be like losing a limb a...

Leeds United director of football Victor Orta believes England's biggest clubs are intent on signing domestic targets this summer, as a trio eye Whites winger Raphinha. By Graham Smyth The Brazilian international was the subject of a bid from Arsenal last week, although it was not deemed worthy of consideration by Leeds, and the Gunners are expected to have a second go in the coming days. Chelsea are also among Raphinha's admirers, along with Spurs, although there is a strong sense that Barcelona remain the player's destination of choice despite their financial issues. The Catalan club are yet to make an official bid for Raphinha despite revealing their hand earlier than anyone else currently thought to be in the running. Club president Joan Laporta revealed in a March interview with RAC1 that they were keen on Leeds' star attacker. "We have two signings lined up, maybe a centre-back and a midfielder, yes," he said. "It could be a central defend...

Leeds United are currently speaking to three potential replacements for Kalvin Phillips, including RB Leipzig's Tyler Adams. By Graham Smyth Manchester City are expected to complete their pursuit of Phillips when he returns from his holiday and the YEP understands Whites director of football Victor Orta is talking to a trio he believes could come in this summer. American international Adams is high up on Orta's list and has worked with Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch twice previously, at New York Red Bulls and RB Leipzig. Adams, 23, moved to the Bundesliga to reunite with Marsch in January 2019 and has racked up 102 appearances for Leipzig, 14 of which have come in the Champions League. The 19-cap midfielder, previously linked to Arsenal, has shown versatility with stints at right-back and on the right side of midfield, but the deep-lying position that Phillips made his own at Elland Road is where Adams has played the vast majority of his football. His fellow Red Bull...

The Gunners are set to return with an improved offer for Leeds United talisman Raphinha By Joe Donnohue Arsenal are now said to be in pole position to sign Leeds United winger Raphinha, according to a new report in The Athletic. The Whites are braced for an improved offer from the north London club after Arsenal's opening bid was rejected earlier this week. Raphinha has entrusted his representatives with his future but is not expected to sign a new deal at Elland Road in light of interest from the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona. The Catalan club's £34.2 million bid for Robert Lewandowski in the past few days indicates where Barcelona's transfer priorities lie, leading Arsenal to believe they are in a commanding position to land Raphinha's signature this window. Fellow London clubs Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a passing interest in the Brazil international, however other players remain the Blues and Spurs' primary targets. Leeds v...

DON'T LET THEM BE TIGHT Written by: Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman Like when they broke the news of Marcelo Bielsa’s sacking, The Athletic have ruined the vibe of a perfectly acceptable muggy Friday evening by telling us that Leeds United have agreed to sell Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City. Even if that transfer felt inevitable this summer, I just wanted to watch the England Women’s match tonight in peace! It’s been a long hot week and I did not need this to think about. I also did not need to read these details about the fee: City are poised to pay £42m with potential bonuses valuing £3m. Now, transfer fees, wages, and just the general money situation in football is a sick joke and the idea of this sort of money being handed over so one footballer can play for a different team has become so detached from reality that the values are essentially abstract. And football fans arguing online about how much their favourite clubs should pay or receive for players is a hideous pa...

Leeds United and Manchester City are close to finalising a deal for Kalvin Phillips that the Whites believe will be worth between £50m and £55m. By Graham Smyth As first reported by the Athletic, the clubs will soon reach an agreement that will also see Darko Gyabi make a switch to Elland Road in a £5m move. Etihad sources say the transfer fee for Phillips is £42m and there's a possible £3m extra to be had in add-ons, although the YEP understands the Whites believe it's worth more like circa £50m to them. Manchester City have pinpointed Phillips as a key summer target in order to replace Fernandinho and Leeds vowed not to stand in the way of a dream move for the England international, if the money was right. Although PSG made the call about Phillips a week ago, Manchester City was always the likeliest of destinations for the 25-year-old, whose 2021/22 season was majorly disrupted by hamstring surgery. Phillips returned in time to help Leeds secure Premier League status ...

French side Stade Rennais could be in line to receive a cash windfall this summer if Leeds United sell Raphinha for a sizeable fee By Joe Donnohue Arsenal and Barcelona are among the clubs strongly linked with a move for Leeds talisman Raphinha. However, the pair may be required to pay in excess of what they deem an appropriate fee due to a sell-on clause included in Raphinha's contract according to Rennes executive director Olivier Cloarec. "Yes, there are bonuses that continue throughout their contract and, possibly, if there are transfers from the current club to other clubs." "Yes, it is in the millions,” he said to TVR, when pressed on the value of the sell-on clauses, as quoted by FootMercato. Cloarec also referenced former Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga's move to Real Madrid, but the decision to list Raphinha's Leeds switch alongside the €40m Madrid transfer suggests the add-ons owed to the French club could be significant. For that ...

Barcelona are yet to bid for Leeds United's Raphinha this summer but have turned their attention to another expensive transfer target By Joe Donnohue The Camp Nou club have lodged a €40m offer for Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, according to Sky Sports, indicating the team's financial constraints may not be as stringent as initially thought. Barcelona's current debt obligation exceeds €1 billion while economic vice president has previously stated this summer that it will take €500 million to 'save' the club's finances. However, the Catalan side have flirted with the possibility of signing both Polish international Lewandowski and Leeds United's Raphinha. Barcelona had hoped for Leeds to be relegated in order to purchase the Brazil winger for a knockdown price, but Premier League survival means the 25-year-old will now cost market value. The LaLiga giants have repeatedly asserted their interest in Leeds' talisman but are yet to launc...

Paris Summer Written by: David Guile There always comes a moment when the elephant in the room is impossible to ignore. You can try to carry on as normal if you like. At some point, though, you’re going to be forced to acknowledge that something is blocking the sunlight, there’s a random tusk poking you in the back and the smell of pachyderm shit is making your morning coffee less than enjoyable. It’s finally time to face up to the fact that Kalvin Phillips probably won’t be a Leeds United player for much longer. That’s football, sadly. No matter how high you rise up the food chain there’s always going to be an apex predator waiting to cannibalise you while Jim White watches, gleefully narrating your club’s evisceration like a ghoulish David Attenborough. Call it the Law of the Jungle, or the Circle of Life, or whatever makes you feel better about it. At least it’s Manchester City this time, rather than Norwich. At least we’ve all assumed it’s going to be City. A new name enter...

OOOOOO THIS IS DECENT Written by: Rob Conlon If you had asked me to guess which footballers were invited to Liam Cooper’s wedding, the summer sun would have changed for the bleak skies of winter before I mentioned the name Scott Wootton. Paudie O’Connor maybe? What about Vurnon Anita? Didn’t Souleymane Doukara RSVP? I’m yet to see any of them in the photos, but there’s Scott Wootton — and look how happy Kalvin is to see him! Without wanting to be rude to Wootton, it made me wonder what he had done to be invited that Jason Pearce hadn’t. While Wootton was flying to Ibiza for the big do after ending the season in the A-League with Wellington Phoenix, Pearce was announcing his retirement from playing after spending the last six years with Charlton. His interview with Charlton’s official YouTube channel is a sombre watch; Pearce wanted to play for one more season but was told it wouldn’t be with Charlton, and none of the offers he got to continue were as appealing as a gig coaching C...

If Leeds United bring the same energy to the transfer window that they took to the European Super League plans, they will do more than just appease their own fanbase. By Graham Smyth Even if the Whites are to lose two key players this summer to ‘big six’ clubs, an event well within the bounds of probability, they can still strike a blow for clubs currently outside the elite, the ones who would have been left behind had the space rocket named greed ever left the ground. It wasn’t as noticeable last season, but when Leeds first landed back in the Premier League after 16 years in the EFL there was an obvious determination to bring with them the distinct ‘us against the world’ mentality long held by Whites supporters. On the pitch, out of possession and in it, the same level of respect afforded to players of ‘the rest’ was given to those wearing the colours of ‘the best’ and had fans been allowed in grounds you would have said that about the atmosphere too. Fans did come to the g...