'Dead weight' - Theo Hernandez ripped to shreds by Italian press as he's booed by his own fans amid 'disastrous' season - with Rafael Leao tipped to follow him out of AC Milan

Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao have had a rollercoaster of a ride during their time at AC Milan. Once revered as club icons after they played pivotal roles in securing the Scudetto at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, the club's fans have seemingly grown tired of the lack of industry in their performances this season. As if that wasn't enough, a report from Gazzetta labelled the duo "dead weight" following a 2-1 home loss against Lazio last weekend. Hernandez's season, meanwhile, was summed up by the newspaper as being "disastrous", with the suggestion being that both are finished in Milan.

AC Milan won the Supercoppa Italiana after defeating Inter in the final in what was only the second game for Sergio Conceicao as the club's manager. There was a lot of positivity around upon the arrival of the Portuguese head coach, but that cup win, if anything, only papered over the widening cracks.

The Rossoneri bowed out of the Champions League after losing their playoff against Feyenoord last month. Their slump in Serie A has continued, too, which has jeopardised Conceicao's continuity in the Milan dugout for the next season.

Last weekend, Lazio visited San Siro to take on Milan and piled on the misery by subjecting them to a 2-1 defeat, with Pedro scoring a penalty in the eighth minute of injury time. Hernandez was booed by the Milan faithful when he stood over the ball before taking a corner kick, proving that the relationship between the player and the fans has hit at an all-time low.

Following the dismal home loss, Rafael Leao released an Instagram post that commented on how the team are "against everything and everyone".

The futures of both Leao and Hernandez have been up for debate for quite some time now. Hernandez's contract talks with Milan have stalled over the Frenchman's excessive wage demands, with Gazzetta suggesting the club are now leaning towards offloading their captain this summer instead of losing him for free in 2026, when his contract expires.

Leao's name has frequently been linked with Barcelona, and other reports suggest the club may finance the permanent signing of on-loan star Joao Felix by selling the Portuguese winger.

As it stands, Milan are unlikely to secure a top-four finish in Serie A, meaning they could miss out on a Champions League spot for the 2025-26 season. The financial impact of not being involved in Europe's premier club competition would be significant, but the Rossoneri have seemingly a contingency plan in place. That apparently involves selling three of their most valuable assets: Leao, Hernandez, and goalkeeper Mike Maignan.