Leeds United went into the international break off the back of a 2-2 draw with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in their ninth Championship game of the season.
The Whites, who host Sheffield United at Elland Road in their return to action on Friday night, were denied of two points in the 97th minute after a howler from Illan Meslier.
They had taken the lead earlier in the match, thanks to goals from Joel Piroe and Junior Firpo, after the hosts had gone in front through Chris Rigg.
It was Piroe’s fourth goal of the season for the West Yorkshire outfit, making him the team’s top scorer so far, but there is one former Leeds player who has outscored him this season – Rafa Mujica.
Rafa Mujica’s form this season
The Spaniard currently plays for Al-Sadd in Qatar and has enjoyed a phenomenal start to the season with his new club, having joined them from Arouca in the summer transfer window.
Mujica, formerly of Leeds, has produced five goals and three assists in six appearances in the Stars League so far this term, which is more than one goal contribution every game on average.
| 24/25 season | Rafa Mujica (Stars League) | Joel Piroe (Championship) |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 6 | 9 |
| Sofascore rating | 7.43 | 6.84 |
| Goals | 5 | 4 |
| Pass accuracy | 81% | 68% |
| Duels won per game | 2.5 | 1.1 |
| Stats via Sofascore | ||
As you can see in the table above, he has outscored Piroe and been more reliable in duels and with the ball at his feet, despite playing fewer matches at league level.
Leeds will surely rue selling the young striker to Las Palmas in the summer of 2021, as his career has gone from strength to strength since his exit from Elland Road.
Rafa Mujica’s soaring market value
Mujica joined the Whites from Barcelona B in the summer of 2019 but he did not make a single appearance for the English side, heading out on various loans, before they decided to part ways with him two years later – with his Transfermarkt value sitting at €300k (£251k) at the time.
After one season with Las Palmas, Portuguese side Arouca swooped to sign the striker, who was hailed as “magnificent” by former boss Pepe Mel, ahead of the 2022/23 campaign and the centre-forward flourished in Liga Portugal.
The 25-year-old star fired in 14 goals in 32 appearances during his debut season with the club, before a staggering return of 23 goals and four assists in 34 outings during his second campaign.
His exceptional form last season attracted attention from Al-Sadd and the Stars League outfit swooped in to secure his services for a reported fee of €10m (£8.4m).
That means that his value soared from just £251k to a whopping £8.4m within the space of three years, thanks to his superb goalscoring exploits in Portugal.
Now, Mujica continues to shine in front of goal in Qatar and is currently outperforming Piroe, and therefore every other Leeds player, as a goalscorer this term.
This is why Leeds will surely rue their decision to move him from Elland Road before they gave him a chance to showcase his talent for their first-team.
