According to reports in Italy, Chelsea have shown interest in Milan star Rafael Leao who is nowhere close to reaching an agreement over a new deal with the Serie A champions.
Leao was named the best Serie A player in 2021-22 following the Rossoneri’s title win. He has a €150m clause included in his contract and his current deal runs out in June 2024.
Milan have been in talks with his entourage for a long time without reaching an agreement. Leao currently gets €1.5m per season at the Stadio Meazza, and according to Gazzetta, the Rossoneri are open to raising his salary to €6m. The Diavoli could also lower his release clause to €90-100m.
However, the agreement is not on the horizon. The player owes almost €20m to his former club Sporting CP, which he left for nothing in 2018 following a fans’ assault at the team’s training centre.
According to Gazzetta, Chelsea are the only team that has asked for information about Leao in the current transfer window, but there are no official offers on the table at the moment. Corriere dello Sport confirms that the Blues are monitoring the Portuguese star, along with Manchester City.
The pink paper adds that a new figure has joined Leao’s entourage, a lawyer and close friend of the striker’s family who is in charge of negotiations with Jorge Mendes, Leao’s ‘official’ representative.
Meanwhile, the striker returns to Milanello today to begin his pre-season training, but his future at the club remains up in the air.
I just dont get it at all.
Why would Milan even agree to a new contract where they would REDUCE his release clause, and not just that, but probably LESS that what he’s realistically worth. That leaves you open to people like City, Chelsea, PSG all just diving in instantly to steal one of your best players. Makes no sense.
If Jack Grealish is £100m player, then Leao is definitely over £100m.
So Milan – get that guy SOLD now before it’s too late. Don’t let another Kessie/Calha fiasco bite you.
Use the money wisely and build a balanced, strong team.
The big rich clubs do whatever they like and can disrupt other teams and spend millions and millions on players from other teams ……. can’t UEFA tackle this situation under its financial fair play rules? why should the big clubs get bigger and bigger every year and the small one get smaller and smaller and only serve as feeder clubs to the big ones???!!!!
surely there is something wrong in all this.
Let me just say I am a Milan fan and it angers me to hear this. I can see another Kessie situation in the making. Leao like Kessie has always said he wants to stay and loves milan but will run his contract down while he dangles himself like a carrot for the highest wage bidder. I would play hard ball personally. If he doesn’t sign an extension THIS summer then sell for as close to 150 million you can get. Fed up with agents like Mendes trying to hold us to ransom.
Get rid then it’s that simple. Cardinale won’t pull his finger out to renew because he’s a loser and a fraud.
I don’t see Milan renewing with current policy regarding big money contracts so if there’s an offer they should sell. I mean Rafa was a standout last campaign but not one of the players that the team was built around before 21-22 season started so him raising performance level to be leagues MVP was a surprise. He’s developed into a beast on the wing but if there’s a big money offer Milan could replace him if not immediately then at least in couple years by developing another prospect they would buy to take his spot and invest to make team stronger in other areas for next and upcoming seasons with big transfer fee coming from the sell.
Pay him what he’s worth then lol
Milan cant afford those wages he’s after its that simple, doesn’t matter his release clause- Milan will accept 80m euro’s as you need the money and not many other club will be after him – this deal is exactly like how kessie left you lot for barca
Chelsea are buying Sterling to play on the left wing. Lets not get carried away with paper talk.
As for Leao himself, he’s not worth the amount quoted. He’s had one good season and half of that was blazing shots over the bar. Hopefully he can keep improving and eventually become worth what his agent is allegedly asking for.
If anyone offers his release clause, then great. If he renews for 6m tops, even better.
I wouldn’t offer him more than that though, and I’m sure the club won’t do it either. If he doesn’t renew and the signs are not good by the end of the window, sell for anything close to 100m to any club offering in this or the next window.
The problem is Mendes and the bonus/commission he/s after. Leao would be OK (I think) with the numbers Milan offered originally.