Leeds United performances against Liverpool and Manchester City 'enchanted' new £17m signing Raphinha

It was just after 10pm on Monday night that the Brazilian winger put pen to paper to complete Leeds’ 13th signing of the summer window, with a sum of around £17m heading to Ligue 1 side Rennes. Raphinha featured in his final game for the French club on Sunday afternoon, in the knowledge that he would later fly to England and become a Premier League player. Along with Champions League involvement and selection for Brazil, he grew up with dreams of playing in the English top flight, so the move was not a difficult sell for Leeds, despite reports to the contrary in France on Monday. Raphinha’s declarations of excitement and happiness at joining the Whites have knocked suggestions that the deal was done against his wishes on the head. “I feel really satisfied and happy with the opportunity and trust the club has shown in me,” said the 23-year-old. “I believe I can show my game and show the club my work and why they believed in me. I’m really happy to be here and I hope to, even in a small part, write my name in the club’s history. “It made me really happy the club were interested in my football and my work and I believe like any other player, you immediately want to come and play in the Premier League, the best league in the world. “I’ve always wanted to play in the Premier League, I dreamed of playing in this championship where all the best players play, so it is a dream come true to be here in the Premier League.” Like any other signing, Raphinha did his due diligence before agreeing to leave Rennes, who have Champions League football to look forward to this season thanks to a third-place finish in Ligue 1 in 2019/20. He spoke to various players about head coach Marcelo Bielsa and liked what he heard. He watched the Whites take on Premier League champions Liverpool and title contenders Manchester City and liked what he saw. “Before I came here I’d spoken to other players about Marcelo Bielsa and they told me he is a really demanding coach, which is something I like,” he said. “I like working with demanding coaches who can really get the best out of me, so it is an absolute pleasure to be here and getting to work with him. “I watched Leeds play against Liverpool and Manchester City and I was enchanted with the style of play.” The way Leeds play and their relentless attacking football appealed to a player with pace and skill, who can hug the touchline or cut inside from the right onto his natural left foot. Raphinha gave Whites fans a taster of what he can do in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Reimes, scoring in his farewell game for Rennes and showcasing some of the trickery he wants to bring to Elland Road. But he’s no show pony, he stresses and his 2019/20 numbers hint at a work ethic and ability to defend aggressively, which will be necessary if he is to get anywhere near Bielsa’s first team by the time the Premier League resumes in a little under a fortnight. “It’s a team which always plays on the front foot, attacking football looking for goals and chasing the victory,” he said. “It’s a really good team with very high quality and it had a big influence on my decision. “I’m the type of player who looks to bring joy onto the field, I like to have fun on the pitch, the fans can expect a happy player who gives his all and battles until the very end to seek a positive result.”