Liverpool and West Ham will suffer a major setback to their respective pursuits of Leeds United star Raphinha due to a release clause in his new contract.
According to Football Insider, Raphinha is close to agreeing terms to a new deal with Leeds which will reportedly bring his market value up to roughly £60m.
This being said, this value forgoes the added involvement of a release clause.
Danny Mills, a former Leeds and Manchester City player, told the publication: “They are rewarding him for doing well and hoping that he’s going to stay.”
“But also they’re protecting their asset with a longer contract and it will have a release clause in it, which could bump up a potential fee.”
What value this release clause could be remains to be seen, but considering the importance of the 25-year-old to The Whites it could end up being a very significant sum of money which the club hope will ultimately deter any suitors.
Of course, Liverpool and West Ham may want the Brazilian that badly.
Liverpool have just signed Colombian winger Luis Diaz, who registered an assist on his first appearance in the FA Cup, also picking a minor cut along the way as a neatly packed ‘Welcome to England’ message, to quote Jurgen Klopp.
However, with the contracts of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino all running out within 18 months, summer departures could be on the cards and this could therefore pave the way for a move for Raphinha.
Meanwhile West Ham are trying to showcase their ambition in order to break through the glass ceiling of the top four, a feat they have thus far been unable to manage.
The Leeds man is an extremely gifted player and is also a hard worker off the ball, something David Moyes requires from all his players.
Raphinha has scored 14 goals and registered 11 assists since joining Leeds from Stade Rennes in 2020. With his present deal set to expire in 2024 his current market value stands at £36m as per transfermarkt.