Leeds United fans won’t be expecting Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips to return to Elland Road, says transfer insider Dean Jones.
Both players have been linked with moves back to the Yorkshire club, but Jones can’t see anything happening and doubts that supporters are getting their hopes up.
Leeds transfer news — Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips
According to Football Insider, Leeds would “jump at the chance” to re-sign Raphinha in the summer if he becomes available.
The 26-year-old only joined Barcelona last July in a £55m deal, as reported by BBC Sport, but the La Liga side are having financial issues, meaning they could be forced to sell assets this summer.
As for Phillips, a report from the Daily Star claims that Leeds could go head-to-head with West Ham for the England international’s signature.
Having sold Phillips to Manchester City for £45m (also via BBC Sport), the Whites were able to make £100m in total by selling him and his former team-mate Raphinha.
What has Dean Jones said about Raphinha, Kalvin Phillips, and Leeds?
For Jones, Raphinha and Phillips returning to Leeds is a bit of a non-starter.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: “I think even the most optimistic Leeds fan in the world won’t be expecting Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips to be back at Elland Road any time soon. Both guys moved on for a reason and that was to further their careers and pursue ambitions that they wouldn’t reach at Leeds.”
How good were Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips for Leeds?
They were excellent, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Leeds did want to bring the two players back to the club in the summer.
Raphinha was their top scorer in the Premier League last season, scoring 11 goals, as per Transfermarkt.
Phillips also did his part defensively when he was able to play. According to WhoScored, the 27-year-old made 2.7 tackles per game during the 2021/22 campaign. Only Luke Ayling managed to record a higher average (2.8) in Leeds’ squad.
Javi Gracia would surely love to have two players of their calibre in his side, but there’s a lot going against Leeds here.
Raphinha and Phillips left Leeds for Champions League clubs, with European football not something the Whites are able to offer. There’s also a chance that they could go down at the end of the season, as Gracia’s side are currently fighting for survival.
Ultimately, then, with where Leeds are and considering where they could be next term, the likes of Raphinha and Phillips are probably out of reach at this moment in time.
