As Leeds United gets ready to play Burnley at Turf Moor this evening, they have the opportunity to go four points clear at the top of the Championship table.
The Whites can now increase their lead with a victory versus the Clarets, who can tie the Whites on points if they win. Sheffield United fell 3-0 to Hull City on Friday, and Sunderland was held to a 2-2 draw by Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.
Daniel Farke will hope his team is as strong and productive as they were in their most recent second-tier match, defeating Norwich City 2-0 at Elland Road on Wednesday.
At the top of the Championship table, this matchup is crucial and could put Leeds in a strong position to earn immediate promotion to the Premier League.
However, a loss may cause alarm since Burnley would catch up to them in terms of points, and since Sheffield United, Sunderland, and the Clarets have all been busy, there might be calls for action during the January transfer window before the deadline next week.
The West Yorkshire team is apparently hoping to add a midfielder to their playing squad before the deadline, regardless of what happens tonight.
Leeds eyeing Brazilian midfielder
According to the printed edition of The Sunday Mirror (26/01/2025), as relayed by The Star, Leeds are one of a number of teams lining up a swoop to sign Botofogo midfielder Danilo Barbosa.
The report claims that fellow Championship promotion hopefuls Sheffield United and Premier League side Everton are also in the running to sign the 28-year-old star before the end of the January transfer window.
It states that Botofogo are looking to cash in on the Brazilian ace in the coming days to avoid losing him for nothing at the end of the year, as his contract is due to expire at the end of December, which means that he would be free to sign a pre-contract in the upcoming summer window.
A bargain addition for Leeds, the Blades, or the Toffees ahead of the second half of the season, the Sunday Mirror adds that the Serie A squad would be willing to cash in on the former Nice titan for a cost of £2 million.
It is unclear, though, if any of the three interested teams will be willing to make a concrete offer for his services before the current season closes or if they will wait to sign him for nothing at the beginning of the following year.
Leeds could, though, enjoy a Raphinha repeat with Barbosa, by signing another Brazilian who has excelled in Ligue 1 in the past, as they did with the left-footed magician.
Leeds United’s Raphinha masterclass
In the summer of 2020, Victor Orta swooped to sign the winger from French side Rennes for a reported fee of £17m to bolster Marcelo Bielsa’s squad.
Raphinha started his career in Brazil, with Avai FC, before a spell in Portugal with Vitoria Guimaraes and Sporting, which led to his move to Rennes in Ligue 1.
The forward scored eight goals and provided seven assists in 36 appearances across all competitions while in France, which prompted the Whites to quickly sign him.
After that, Raphinha was able to carry over his Ligue 1 form to the Premier League with Leeds, scoring 17 goals and dishing out 12 assists in 67 games during his two seasons in West Yorkshire.
As you can see in the clips above, the Brazil international was capable of the sublime in the Premier League and won many points for the Whites with his fantastic qualities at the top end of the pitch.
Barcelona then swooped in to sign him for a reported fee of £55m in the summer of 2022, which meant that Leeds made a gigantic profit on the winger after just two years of service at Elland Road – making the initial £17m deal a masterclass from Orta.
Why Danilo Barbosa could be a Raphinha repeat
The 49ers could come close to repeating the masterclass that the club played with Raphinha by signing Danilo Barbosa for £2m from Botofogo this month, because he is another Brazilian who could come in having already impressed in Ligue 1.
Unlike the current Barcelona superstar, the 28-year-old brute would come in as an experienced player without much potential for a sell-on and plays in defensive positions, as a midfielder or as a centre-back, rather than on the wing.
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