Leeds United’s signing of Rafinha was a smart move that ultimately turned a huge profit for the club when he moved to Barcelona

Leeds United’s mis-spending in the 2022/23 Premier League season proved fatal, but they had made several smart deals before that, with the signing of Rafinha standing out.

Leeds United’s return to the Premier League in 2020, under the leadership of iconic Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa, will forever be etched in the memories of Leeds United fans, many of whom finally saw their club return to the promised land after a long 16 years.

Leeds United’s big spending immediately after winning the title in the 2019/20 season initially paid off, with them finishing 10th in their first season back in the Premier League. But they never reached that level again, with Leeds United only managing to avoid relegation on the last day of the following season, and being relegated to the Championship again three years later.

According to data provided by the International Centre for Sports Research (CIES) via Leeds Live, the West Yorkshire club has spent a total of €272m (£234m) during this period, with their spending over the past three years ranking as the tenth highest net expenditure in world football since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in September alone.

Leeds United have, of course, wasted a lot of money on players such as Jean-Kevin Augustin, Diego Llorente and Helder Costa, but the decision to spend just £17m to sign Rafinha in 2020 has proven to be a brilliant move.

Leeds United Signs Rafinha for £17m

It’s easy to get caught up in Leeds United’s misguided spending sometimes, but they deserve a great deal of credit for even convincing a player of Rafinha’s calibre to join the club, not to mention signing him for such a low cost and reaping a huge profit two years later.

Prior to Leeds United's first season back in the Premier League, they signed Rafinha from Rennes for £17 million, and it was clear that they had struck gold.

The Brazilian winger left opposition defenders helpless with his blistering pace, skill at the feet and creativity. He scored six goals and provided nine assists in his first season in Yorkshire, and wowed the Elland Road crowd in his second.

Unfortunately, Rafinha's 11 goals and three assists weren't enough to keep Leeds in the Premier League, but their relegation had nothing to do with him and he deserved a move to Barcelona in July 2022.

Rafinha's transfer fee certainly didn't come cheap, with Leeds making a £38 million profit when he joined Barcelona for £55 million.

They can certainly thank Bielsa for bringing Rafinha to Leeds in the first place, a decision that allowed them to have such an amazing talent for two seasons and reap huge financial benefits when they eventually sold him.

Rafinha’s success at Barcelona further highlights Leeds United’s transfer success

If Leeds United needed any reminder of how well they had done in the Rafinha deal, then his career trajectory since moving to Spain provides any remaining evidence.

The 29-time Brazil international has been one of Barca’s best performers since joining the club. He reached double figures for goals and assists in his first two full seasons at Barca, helping them to their first La Liga title in four years in his first season.

Moving from Leeds United to Barcelona was a huge leap, but Leeds United fans always knew he had the ability to rise to the challenge and succeed on the biggest stage, and he did just that.

Rafinha is extremely talented, and his success in Barcelona makes you realize how lucky Leeds United were to have a player of such calibre in their second and final season as they battled relegation.

He has taken his performance to a new level at Barcelona this season, being named one of five captains by Hans-Dieter Flick at the start of the season, alongside Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ronald Araujo, Frenkie de Jong and Pedri.

The Barca playmaker's finest moment so far this season was captaining the team in the Champions League and leading them to a 4-1 win over Bayern Munich, taking the match ball after scoring a hat-trick.

Leeds United fans will be proud to see their former star shine on the highest stage of club football, with many believing he has become one of the best wingers in the world. Indeed, it is further proof of the masterstroke that Leeds United and Bielsa executed four years ago.