The newly promoted Premier League club signed the 23-year-old from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes for an initial fee of £17m on the final day of the international transfer window.
The Brazilian, who is now awaiting to make his debut for the Whites, followed the likes of Rodrigo, Robin Koch and Diego Llorente in walking through the door at Elland Road.
Raphinha also traded the opportunity to play in the Champions League with Rennes this season to join Marcelo Bielsa’s men in the English top flight.
However, Leeds’ move for the winger was not just sparked by their promotion to the Premier League but the player had been on their radar since before Marcelo Bielsa’s arrival, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post.
The Yorkshire-based club initially placed Raphinha on their radar when the Brazilian was plying his trade for Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal.
Leeds started keeping an eye on the player after the club’s director of football Victor Orta became aware of his ability to get an Italian passport, which would make work permit hurdles vanish.
The Whites went on to track him during his time at Sporting Lisbon and then at Rennes before eventually signing him this year, although there were other suitors.
