Luke Ayling and Liam Cooper react as Leeds United hero Raphinha makes big announcement

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No former Leeds United player is having a better time of things right now than Raphinha with FC Barcelona after winning La Liga.

Raphinha signed a five-year contract with the Catalan giants in 2022 after leaving Leeds United. He had two unbelievable seasons with the Whites but he has hit far higher heights with Barcelona.

Thierry Henry believes Raphinha wins the Ballon d’Or for his heroics this season with the La Liga outfit, which have earnt the 28-year-old an extension to his contract. It now takes him to 2028 and merits his contribution in the league and Europe this season.

They won the league recently and Raphinha repeated his Brentford antics for Barcelona in the aftermath, but his new contract is being celebrated by some familiar Leeds faces as well.

• READ MORE: Leeds United player ‘inching towards’ Elland Road exit with Raphinha reunion on the cards

Liam Cooper and Luke Ayling react to Raphinha contract reveal

Raphinha was out of the ordinary at Leeds but the Brazilian star has credited Marcelo Bielsa for his rise to true stardom on the world stage and in the Champions League.

It was in the latter competition where Alan Shearer made a strange Raphinha claim, considering he was absolutely immense during his time in West Yorkshire.

Leeds fans are baffled at those Raphinha claims, though there are fair arguments to be made that he has hit totally new levels with his new side where he is firmly in contention for a Ballon d’Or.

The new contract is a reward for that and both Liam Cooper and Luke Ayling have congratulated him on that via Instagram. The pair were the captain and vice-captain during Raphinha’s time at the club.

Cooper said: “Congrats bro 👏🏻👏🏻”

Ayling, still a Middlesbrough player, sent a tribute to Leeds with: “🤍💙💛”

• READ MORE: Luke Ayling says what he hopes to see from Leeds United after promotion to the Premier League

The profit Leeds made on Raphinha’s move to Barcelona

Raphinha was an arrival in 2020 for £17 million from Rennes, which was a true masterstroke from Victor Orta and Bielsa in and of itself for the time he spent at Leeds.

His influence on the team was undeniable, and when he eventually departed for Barcelona, it was clear that Leeds had lost a world-class talent.

The profits on him were substantial following a sale two years later for around £50-55 million. That made it one of Orta’s best transfer dealings during his time at Elland Road.

In recent memory Raphinha is undoubtedly one of their greatest Leeds signings, and indeed Leeds players, ever. It may be another generation or two before they see the like again.

Ayling and Cooper know it and the former also knows where he earned his move to Barcelona, with Leeds and Bielsa helping to develop the Brazilian superstar into what he is today.