Leeds United transfer news: Update on Man United interest in Raphinha, Pundit makes £10m rip off claim

The Brazilian has consistently caught the eye with a series of impressive displays, and so far he has registered four goals and five assists in 18 top flight since arriving from Rennes in a deal over the summer.

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has sung his praises recently, while former Elland Road hero Jermaine Beckford has also been blown away by his attacking performances over the past few weeks.

But Raphinha's form is increasingly looking like a double-edged sword for Leeds.

As he has grown into his new role in England, so has speculation linking him with an exit from Elland Road in the coming months.

One of the latest rumours involving the 24-year-old comes from Sport Italia journalist Gianluigi Longari, who reported earlier in the week that Manchester United have joined Liverpool in the race for his signature.

But an update from United-focused site Stretty News have disputed the Italian’s claim, and insist that the Reds are not planning a raid on their bitter Yorkshire rivals.

According to Whoscored, Raphinha has registered more successful dribbles per game than any other player in Marcelo Bielsa’s squad so far this term, as well as having the second-highest amount of shots per 90 minutes and making the second-highest number of key passes – keeping hold of him would be a major boost for the Whites.

Elsewhere, former Leeds striker Noel Whelan has suggested that Helder Costa could be on the move this summer.

The winger only signed a permanent deal with the Whites last summer, but he has seen his star fall somewhat at Elland Road this term, and he has been limited to just eight starts in the Premier League.

Bearing that in mind, Whelan has suggested that Bielsa’s men may have been ripped off a little when they forked out £16 million for his services.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “It seems like a bit of a waste of money right now from what we put into him and what we’re getting out of him. I don’t think anyone’s really trusting him, even for the short amount of time he comes on the field, he’s not shown enough and could be sold, in my opinion.

“I always worry why Premier League outfits let go of players because they can’t cut it in the Premier League. So, again, it’s down to players, it’s down to them to produce.

“You can only make whatever you’ve got at your disposal work and it’s down to attitude and it’s about quality. Right now, £16 million pounds is about £10 million too much. We overpaid for him.”

Interestingly, while Costa has slipped down the pecking order this term, he does appear to be performing better when he is given a chance to prove himself.

According to Wyscout, the 27-year-old has averaged an xG that is 0.15 higher per game than during his loan spell at Elland Road last season, while his dribble success rate is 4.9% higher, and his passing accuracy is 1.2% better off.

We’ve gathered the rest of this lunchtime’s Premier League transfer speculation below: