AC Milan’s Rafael Leao opens door to Premier League move
AC Milan attacker Rafael Leao has opened the door to a future Premier League move, but he has also insisted that he is fully committed to the Serie A champions.
The Portugal international was a driving force in the Rossoneri’s run to the Scudetto with 11 goals and 10 assists in 34 top-flight matches during the 2021-22 season.
Leao has further enhanced his reputation as one of Europe’s brightest young attackers this season, coming up with seven goals and nine assists across 20 Serie A and Champions League games.
The 23-year-old’s form earned him a place in Portugal’s squad for the World Cup, and while he did not start a game for his country, he still managed two goals off the bench against Ghana and Switzerland before A Selecao went out to Morocco in the quarter-finals.
Leao is only under contract at San Siro until the end of the 2023-24 season and is believed to be on the radar of several top teams, namely Chelsea and Manchester United.
Leao left Lille in 2019 to sign for Milan, and the former Sporting Lisbon youngster has amassed 34 goals and 30 assists in 135 matches for the Italian champions over the past three and a half years.
In order to fend off interest from the Premier League, Milan are reportedly prepared to offer Leao a quintuple-your-money contract, according to Corriere della Sera – via Spanish outlet AS.
Leao would allegedly become the highest-paid member of the Milan squad with a yearly salary of €7m (£6.2m), and Pioli’s side are said to be quietly confident about their chances of agreeing a new deal.
However, there is the issue of an outstanding €16.5m (£14.6m) fine that Leao has been ordered to pay to Sporting, as he unilaterally terminated his contract with the Portuguese champions to sign for Lille.
Chelsea are set to bolster their attacking ranks next month with the signing of Molde striker David Datro Fofana, while RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku is expected to join in the summer.
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