Rafa Leão is once again causing a stir at Milan. His nine league goals are not enough to salvage what has, once again, been an inconsistent and not entirely convincing season for the Portuguese player. His outburst when he was substituted against Lazio has reignited the debate over the player’s attitude and mentality. This factor, combined with his performances and his difficulty fitting into Allegri’s system, puts his future in Milan at serious risk. A contract renewal is not on the cards and Leao is on the market, though there does not appear to be a queue of suitors for him.
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Milan, the Leao situation: the row with Pulisic, the stalled contract renewal and doubts about his future. He’s on the market, but there are no offers for him
LEAO-MILAN: TENSION IN THE AIR
Milan and Leao: a long-standing love affair that is currently going through a rough patch. What happened at the Olimpico – with the player refusing to be substituted and shrugging off Allegri’s attempt to embrace him – has left its mark. Not from a disciplinary point of view, as the player is unlikely to be fined, but certainly in terms of the team’s morale.
Tensions, in fact, continued even after the final whistle, and Rafa’s behaviour did not go down well with the management and his teammates – one need only look at the reactions of Tare and Maignan. Furthermore, the spat with Pulisic reportedly continued in the dressing room, prompting Allegri to intervene. And this would not be the Portuguese player’s only misstep; indeed, as the Corriere della Sera reports, in recent weeks he has not appeared particularly focused on the club’s fortunes, as evidenced by his skipping several team breakfasts.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
All these factors are complicating the future of the Milan star, a future that remains to be seen. Negotiations over the renewal of his contract – which expires in 2028 and guarantees him €5.5 million a year – have effectively been put on hold, and talks will resume, if at all, once the season is over. What is certain is that Milan will consider offers from the transfer market this summer, should any arise.
Despite having a release clause of €170 million, the Portuguese player couldbe sold for as little as €80 million, but, for now, no major offers have yet been received. As the Corriere explains, the Rossoneri are hoping for potential interest from the Premier League and Saudi Arabia.
Should Leao’s departure go ahead, Milan have reportedly identified a potential replacement. According to La Gazzetta, this would be the Norwegian Antonio Nusa, a 2005-born striker from Leipzig, valued at €35 million.
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