Leeds winger Raphinha wasn’t nearly as hyped up as he should have been when he joined the Premier League at the start of last season, but he’s building an impressive CV of goals and performances for the Whites, and is now a Brazil regular too.
After their latest game, it fell to Chelsea man Thiago Silva to praise the former Rennes man’s showing for the Selecao.
“If we had managed to win, we would be talking more about them. The boys showed a quality that I have hardly seen in more than ten years with the Brazilian national team [of debutants],” Silva said.
“It’s really cool to see Raphinha and Antony showing personality. In terms of rapport, it’s a little lacking, but the individual is at a high level,” the captain continued in quotes picked up by Leeds Live.
The game between a much changed Brazil team and Colombia ended as a 0-0 draw, but Raphinha’s impact off the bench for the last half an hour was notable, and one feels they might have won had he started.
It’s just a matter of time before top Champions League teams end up being linked with the winger, and you can expect Chelsea to be right in the mix, so long as Silva is able to bend his ear in these international breaks.
Both Raphinha and Silva will miss their Premier League fixtures this weekend as Brazil play late on Thursday night.
