After dropping down into the Championship a couple of years ago, it was always likely that Leeds United would part ways with numerous players who were above the level of the second tier.
Countless players departed Elland Road ahead of the 2023/24 season, with various others moving on to pastures new even before the club suffered relegation from the Premier League.
Midfielder Kalvin Phillips was arguably one of the most high-profile departures, leaving in a £45m deal to join Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the summer of 2022.
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It came after the 29-year-old registered just shy of 250 appearances for his boyhood side, rising through the ranks before cementing his place as a regular starter and becoming an England international.
Phillips wasn’t the only big-money departure from Yorkshire during the summer of 2022, with another first-team member also moving on in a huge deal for the club.
Raphinha’s stats for Leeds United
Brazilian attacker Raphinha moved to Leeds in the summer of 2020, costing £17m from French outfit Stade Rennais, with the majority of the supporters unaware of his talents.
The now 28-year-old quickly captured the hearts of the fanbase at Elland Road with his magnificent showings, which saw him notch a combined 15 goals and assists in his debut campaign.
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Raphinha would register one fewer the following campaign, a year that would prove to be his final one in Yorkshire, moving on after securing survival on the final day with his goal against Brentford keeping the side in the top flight.
He would join Spanish giants Barcelona in a £55m deal, a club-record fee received, but the club would lose one of their star players - undoubtedly contributing to their eventual relegation just 12 months later.
Replacing the Brazilian was always going to be a mammoth task, but the responsibility fell to one player who could’ve followed in his footsteps in being a success for the Whites.
The player who could’ve been the next Raphinha for Leeds
South American talents have been prevalent at Leeds over the last couple of years, with Raphinha and Luis Sinisterra just two examples of the calibre of players who have plied their trade in Yorkshire.
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However, another player could’ve followed suit in thriving in attacking areas in the form of winger Ian Poveda, but it’s safe to say he never lived up to expectations.
The Colombian forward joined the Whites back in January 2020 from Manchester City for an undisclosed fee, subsequently making four league appearances in the promotion-winning campaign.
He would feature in 16 outings during their return to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa, but would subsequently spend the two following years on loan at Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool, respectively - highlighting his lack of impact during his time in Yorkshire.
However, after relegation, boss Daniel Farke gave him the opportunity to fight for a first-team place, but he would only make 10 appearances in the first half of last season, before another loan move, this time to Sheffield Wednesday.
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After 30 appearances and no goals in the Whites’ first-team, Poveda departed on a free transfer last summer, in what was a massively disappointing move given the early praise around his move by Guardiola.
It’s safe to say he’s not lived up to expectations elsewhere either, only making six appearances since joining Sunderland in the summer, totalling 81 minutes - proving that Leeds made the right call in allowing him to depart.
Ian Poveda's stats during his time at Leeds United
Season
2019/20
2020/21
2021/22
2022/23
2023/24
2023/24
Stats via Transfermarkt
It’s a shame that Poveda was unable to follow in Raphinha’s footsteps in being a success at Elland Road, but ultimately, the 25-year-old wasn’t good enough to fill the void left by the Brazilian.
His time with the Whites was one of disappointment, having the opportunity to secure promotion with one of their rivals this season, but is unlikely to play any impactful role given his lack of minutes to date.
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Leeds United need to cash in on one player who's failed to impress away from Elland Road in 2024/25.