Milan are trying to help Rafael Leao negotiate a discount on the €20m he owes to Sporting, which they hope will make him more inclined to sign a new contract with them.
The Portugal international is under contract until June 2024 and talks have been dragging on for months to agree a new deal.
His agent Jorge Mendes is asking for €7m per season, a big increase on the €4.5m they were close to agreeing just before Milan won the Serie A title.
That was also fuelled by the interest from Chelsea and Manchester City, who can give the 23-year-old even higher wages than that.
So Portuguese newspaper Record claim that Milan are taking a different tack to win Leao’s loyalty.
They are said to be negotiating directly with his former club Sporting CP to help lower the €20m he owes them.
Leao lost several legal actions after walking away from Sporting free of charge in 2018 to join LOSC, unilaterally terminating the contract for what he felt was just cause after the training ground was invaded by angry fans, something the courts did not agree with.
He therefore has been ordered to pay the club back €20m, which will be taken straight from his wages.
Although Milan do not owe Sporting a cent, they hope that mediating over this debt will help Leao to commit to them going forward.
Directors Paolo Maldini and Frederico Varandas met twice in recent months to discuss the situation, claim Record.
There’s no reason to bend over backwards for him. Cash out on him and improve the squad overall.
Not sure I would put much stock in this? it’s pretty cut and dried really. The courts have levied the sanction. The deal is done no negotiating now.
This is interesting, if Milan were to pay the 20 M would that be considered income for Leao? If Milan gives Leao the money it would be income and thus taxed.
No way Milan should be paying any of it…