Leeds struck gold on star who Bielsa dubbed “special”

Leeds United’s lead at the top of the Championship table is tight. The Whites are just two points clear of second place Sheffield United but are on an impressive unbeaten run. Daniel Farke’s team have not lost in 14 Championship fixtures, dating back to the end of November.

Playoffs are surely all but sealed for the Yorkshire side, given there is a gap of over 20 points between them and sixth place, which would still see them get into the playoffs. However, with seven points separating them from fourth, it will be a battle to gain automatic promotion and win the league.

Farke will need his attacking stars to stand up for the count if Leeds are to win promotion this season, following in the footsteps of the days of Marcelo Bielsa.

The form of Leeds’ attackers

There have been some dominant wins for Leeds this season, with the best of the brunch the recent 7-0 thrashing of Cardiff City at Elland Road. This was a perfect example of the electric form the Whites’ attackers have been in this season.

One of the most exciting attacking players to don the Leeds shirt this season has been Daniel James. The Welshman has scored ten goals and grabbed six assists from the wing, with his pace, once clocked at 35.67 km/h, capable of really harming teams.

Another attacker who has been on fire this season is Joel Piroe. The 25-year-old Dutchman has scored 14 goals in all competitions this term, more than any of his teammates, and also has six assists to go along with those. Two of those came in the dominant win over Cardiff.

There have also been exceptional contributions from the likes of Wilfried Gnonto and Brenden Aaronson, who each have ten goals and assists so far this season. Leeds’ attackers have been on fire.

Farke will no doubt want his side to continue this form in front of goal, which will be key to their promotion hopes. However, Leeds fans may well be wishing they had a former star to add to their options up front, who has become a world superstar.

The former Leeds star who was sold for huge profit

It is not every day that a football legend like Romario calls you “one of the best in the world”. However, that is exactly what he said about former Leeds ace Raphinha, who has been in fantastic form at Barcelona since his move from Elland Road two and a half years ago.

The 28-year-old Brazilian has been on another level for the La Liga giants this season but became a household name for his exploits in a Leeds shirt. He only played for the club for two seasons but was sensational in that time.

In 67 games over those two campaigns at Elland Road, Raphinha scored 17 times and grabbed 12 assists. All of those came in the Premier League, and he was, in many ways, responsible for the Whites surviving relegation, with a final-day goal against Brentford to secure a 2-1 win enough to help his side stay up.

After moving to Camp Nou in the summer of 2022, the winger only showed glimpses of his best form until this season. He has been unstoppable under Hansi Flick, scoring 24 goals and grabbing 15 assists in just 35 games. That includes a Champions League hattrick against Bayern Munich earlier in the season.

Selling Raphinha, as disappointing as it was to lose him, was almost unavoidable. However, former director of football at Elland Road, Victor Orta, struck a great deal and made an excellent profit on the Brazilian.

They signed him for £17m from Rennes in 2020 and ended up selling him for £55m, making a profit of 224%, an excellent piece of business for the Whites.

If only Farke had Raphinha to call upon today, the Yorkshire club might have an outrageous lead at the top of the Championship. They certainly would be an even deadlier side if they had the man Biesla once called “special” in their squad.

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