Former Fiorentina striker Nuno Gomes explains why he is not surprised by his compatriot Rafael Leao and compares the Milan star to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.
Leao is Milan’s best scorer this season and has been decisive in the last few Serie A games, scoring vital goals against Fiorentina and Atalanta.
“He hasn’t surprised me. I’ve known him since he was 15. He used to make the difference with Portugal’s youth teams and I was immediately impressed by his talent,” former Fiorentina striker Nuno Gomes told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“He is already among the best players in the world in his position. He reminds me of Thierry Henry, as Stefano Pioli has already said. But I would also add Adriano, the ‘Emperor’ for his strength in certain moments and Ronaldo ‘The Phenomenon’ for his explosiveness.”
In January, Milan coach Pioli had already compared Leao to the legendary Arsenal striker.
“Leao has already improved a lot and he can do even more in the future. He can score even more goals if he plays closer to opposition box,” continued Gomes.
“It’s very difficult to emerge in Serie A for a foreign striker. But if you pass the Italian exam, then you are ready. He has already shown his worth this season, but he can become even more decisive in the next campaign.”
Leao has scored 14 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions this season, managing three (against Genoa, Fiorentina and Atalanta) in the last six Serie A appearances.
His contract at the Stadio Meazza runs out in 2024, but his agent Jorge Mendes is in talks with Milan over a new deal until 2026.
The Portugal international joined the Rossoneri in a €30m deal from Lille in the summer of 2019 and has netted 27 goals in 114 appearances with the Serie A giants. He made his Portugal debut in October 2021 and has yet to find the net with his country at a senior level.
Nuno Gomes: "Non sono sorpreso da Leao: lo conosco da tempo. Può vincere da solo" https://t.co/BKwYqrLqio
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No. He will never cheat by blatantly handballing to score in a World Cup play off.
PhD Simone would be happy to have a player like this in his team. I love Hernan Crespo
He is the future of Portugal. Huge pressure on this kid. Even if he has an amount of talent that looks ridiculous, he also needs to mature even more. The world is yours Leao!
Come to juveeeeeeee
Why’s it that anything stealing is connected to juve? Steal points, steal………
Henry had a much greater sense of urgency