Raphinha wants to join West Ham as verbal bid made to sign Leeds United star
West Ham have made a verbal bid worth £40million, plus £10million in add-ons, for Leeds United winger Raphinha, according to 90min.
The football news site reports that Leeds have rejected the late January bid for the Brazilian, 25, but he is interested in a move to the London Stadium.
It is understood that Leeds are trying to get Raphinha to sign a new contract but he could reject that as it stands.
Furthermore, 90min reports that while Raphinha wants to join West Ham, he will not force his way out of Elland Road.
One for the summer?
We really doubt that Leeds will agree to sell Raphinha before the deadline on Monday because if they do, they will greatly increase their chance of being relegated.
Whether or not you think that the £50million offer for the ex-Rennes attacker is fair, relegation back to the Championship will cost Leeds way more than that.
Raphinha has been a real star of the show this season – not only at Leeds but in the Premier League as a whole.
He’s scored eight goals and supplied two assists in 19 Premier League outings this season and he would have created way more if Patrick Bamford hadn’t been injured for as long as he has been.
However, do West Ham need him?
Jarrod Bowen has been better than Raphinha this season and plays in the same position as the Brazil international.
We need a striker, and out-and-out centre-forward. And we also need defensive reinforcements.
It would not shock us if David Sullivan is totally behind this and not David Moyes.
In other West Ham news, the Irons have been in talks over the last 24 hours to sign a new defender.