Steve Nicol has explained there’s a question mark around consistency with Chelsea target Raphinha if he moves to Stamford Bridge from Leeds United.
Raphinha, 25, is being strongly linked this week with a potential transfer this summer to the Blues.
It’s been reported Chelsea have agreed a fee of around £60/65million for the Leeds winger. Therefore, the Brazilian’s price tag has more than trebled since his £17million transfer to Elland Road back in 2020.
The left-footed attacker has 17 goals and 11 assists in 66 Leeds appearances across all competitions. He’s played some eye-catching football with great flair and skill to excite Premier League audiences, too.
Raphinha consistency
ESPN pundit Nicol believes there’s still a risk of the unknown if Chelsea go ahead and sign Raphinha for next season.
He’s an admirer of the Leeds talisman, who has regularly been their go-to man in attack.
However, he highlights the level of pressure will increase tenfold in a Chelsea shirt. The South American star will need to find more consistency in his game to be a success as well.
“The only worry with Raphinha is not his ability, because he’s got pace, he loves going past people, he loves running at defenders, he loves going forward… He’s an exciting guy to watch,” Nicol told ESPN.
“Inconsistency, that’s the question mark about this guy. It’s one thing to play for a Leeds United side, particularly under [Marcelo] Bielsa, where going forward it was like a cavalry charge. There is going to have to be a lot more control [playing for Chelsea]
“Talented, 100 per cent. Consistent, big question mark.”
The challenge for any new attacker that joins Chelsea’s ranks is to contribute regularly with goals and assists, which has proven an issue for so many to wear blue in recent seasons.
Mason Mount was the only Blues player last season to hit double figures for goals and assists, with 13 and 16 respectively. It seems fair to suggest Raphinha should strive for those kind of numbers if he gets to play with better players at Stamford Bridge next season.
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