Rafael Leao called his contract renewal with Milan ‘an act of love’ and gave his thoughts on the various new signings at the club.
The Rossoneri have been incredibly active in the first month of the summer transfer window, picking up six players – Marco Sportiello, Luka Romero, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Noah Okafor and Tijjani Reijnders.
Samuel Chukwueze is expected to arrive from Villarreal this week to become Milan’s seventh signing, adding yet another reinforcement to the squad following the €80m total sale of Sandro Tonali to Newcastle United.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport and Sky Sports Italia via MilanNews, Leao first discussed his recent contract renewal with Milan.
“An act of love. The decision was already in my head, I thought about it a lot, it was just a question of timing, of choosing the right moment. Before the contract, I wanted to go to the Champions League final… but we didn’t make it.
“Maybe in today’s football it’s impossible to see yourself wearing the same shirt for a lifetime. I signed for five years, it means I want to be here. The project is very important, there are a lot of young players, and the most important thing is that I can grow here to reach my goal: to win a lot.”
He touched on the team’s goals for the coming season.
“We have to win a trophy. We have to train and understand what the coach wants in order to have a great season as a team. From what I saw with Real Madrid, we have a very strong team.
“The Scudetto dream has been realised, now the Champions League is missing, the trophy that all players want to win.
“In Italy, however, it is difficult to win because there are so many strong teams and in 38 games you can never drop points. The European cups, in the last year, have shown that the Serie A is a strong league.”
The 24-year-old spoke about how it’ll feel to wear the number 10 shirt in the coming season. He’s previously worn the shirt number 17.
“I am proud to have the number 10, but it will be even more beautiful to play with it at the San Siro. I liked it a lot, as I like the 7… but the 7 is Yacine’s.
“I didn’t know if Brahim would leave and Brahim is a friend of mine. When I heard he was going back to Madrid, I asked the club for the 10.
“The 10 like Gullit? I saw a couple of videos of him, he was very strong one-on-one, fast. I just can’t compare myself to a player like that, I still lack a lot to get to that level.”
Leao gave his thoughts on Milan’s various new signings.
“Milan are a historic club, big. It’s not easy to show everyone what I’m here for, but I certainly try to help the guys who arrive. Pulisic is strong in the one-on-one. In general, they are very strong.
“This year from goalkeeper to striker we are all strong. I feel the environment is top, we can have a good season. Christian is a strong player, he can make a difference on the right and left.
“Loftus-Cheek has strength, he is powerful, he carries the ball, he is the player who will push the team forward from the back.
“In Serie A there is no player like him. Reijnders is good on set pieces. Tijjani kicks well, he is strong in passing. The mediano is important for us to dribble.”
He commented on his leadership role in the squad.
“Yes, I feel more and more like a leader, thanks to the trust of my teammates. I’m not someone who talks a lot but I’m trying to do it more, to be a voice, although I think there are players who are better at speaking for the team.
“When I arrived, some teammates took me by the hand, now I’m doing it with the new ones.”
The 24-year-old reflected on the unexpected departure of Paolo Maldini.
“It was a surprise. I came to Milan also because Maldini called me. He was very important for me, he helped me on and off the pitch, but the club decided this way.
“Maybe we’ll see each other in the future.”
He was also asked about the sale of Tonali to Newcastle.
“I didn’t expect the departure, but the club decided this. It wasn’t easy because Sandro is a Milan player, he helped us win the Scudetto. He has made his path at Milan, now I wish him the best.”
Finally, Leao spoke about Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who hung up his boots and retired at the end of last season.
“A teammate shared a message from him on the team’s WhatsApp group: he says he cheers for us and is one of us. Maybe we’ll see each other soon.”