USMNT star Christian Pulisic used in brutal Rafael Leao comparison as out-of-form AC Milan forward is accused of being 'half a player' by former Italy forward

Former Italy forward Cassano, who spent the 2011-12 season as an AC Milan player, has hit out at Leao and accused him of being "half the player" that his teammate Pulisic is. Cassano also stated that he doesn't believe Leao is the most talented player in the Milan squad, despite claims to the contrary.

Leao’s time at the San Siro has been a mix of brilliance and inconsistency, with the Portuguese international, who was once linked with a big-money move to one of Europe's elite clubs, now on the verge of being pushed towards an exit.

Pulisic, meanwhile, has scored 15 goals and contributed a further nine assists this season, emerging as the club's shining light in a campaign that has gone from bad to worse for the Rossoneri. In contrast, Leao has scored just 10 goals and delivered as many assists as the USMNT star

Leao's lack of consistency and his inability to become the talismanic figure that Milan once expected him to be has led outspoken former Italy star Cassano to fire shots at the 25-year-old.

Speaking on the Viva el Futbol podcast (h/t Football Italia), Cassano said: "Now some failed, incompetent parasite tries to say Leao has to play, he is the most talented player at Milan. Stop, absolutely not. In my view, Christian Pulisic and Tijjani Reijnders are the best Milan players, they are the ones who scored 15 goals.

"Pulisic works all the way down the flank, he can cut inside, provide assists, score goals, work for the team. He does everything that Leao does not know how to do.

"Leao gets one pass right for every four he tries. He got only six goals this season [in the Serie A]. We are here to educate those people who don’t know what it really means to play football, study, love and respect this sport. One bit of skill does not mean you are a great player. He scored six goals.

"These people want to talk about Leao, when Reijnders and Pulisic got twice as many goals? These are players who make the difference, not Leao. He is half a player, that’s all. Why don’t they talk about [Bologna's] Riccardo Orsolini, who scored more goals than Leao? Because he only earns €1.5m per season compared to Leao’s €8m? Orsolini, [Lazio's] Mattia Zaccagni and [Atalanta's] Ademola Lookman are all better than Leao."

Sergio Conceicao's side will take on cross-city rivals Inter in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final on Wednesday night, followed by a Serie A encounter against Fiorentina on Saturday. Milan are currently languishing in ninth position in the Italian top-flight, nine points behind fourth-placed Bologna.