Raphinha left Leeds last summer for the Catalan giants after scoring a goal in the last game of the 2021/22 Premier League season that helped ensure the Whites remained in the top flight.
At Barcelona, Raphinha has made 21 La Liga appearances and scored four goals with the same number of assists, but he has also been criticised for his performances, with some fans finding his displays underwhelming.
Firpo is however a huge admirer of his former team-mate and insists that Leeds, Raphinha really stood out.
The Leeds star also admitted that he has never seen Raphinha injured and lauded the Brazilian as a great professional.
Speaking to Spanish daily AS, Firpo said: “As far as Raphinha is concerned, he is a huge player, with a great personality and he is very strong.
“At Leeds he stood out because he is brutal when even space and he is still in the process of adapting.
“But he is very good and despite being the one who ran the most and was tackled the most, I’ve never seen him injured.
“A great professional.”
Raphinha was wanted by Arsenal in the January window and it is claimed that Barcelona rejected an offer of €70m from the Gunners for the former Leeds star.
