Paolo Maldini believes Rafael Leao should extend his contract with Milan, but will the Portuguese star follow the advice from the Rossoneri legend?
The former Lille and Sporting CP starlet has scored three goals and delivered five assists in eight games across all competitions this season. He contributed to Alexis Saelemaeker’s strike in a 3-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb yesterday, helping Milan win their first home Champions League game since 2013.
Leao’s contract runs out in June 2024 and the Rossoneri began negotiations to extend his stay a long time ago, as confirmed by club director Paolo Maldini on Wednesday.
The legendary defender believes Leao should remain at the club to develop further. “He knows that the ideal solution to become even stronger is to remain with us,” Maldini said last night, as quoted by Milannews.
“We want to make big things and grow with him.”
Leao currently gets €1.5m per season at San Siro, and Milan are ready to offer him a new €4.5m-a-year contract.
It remains to be seen if that would be enough for the striker and his agent Jorge Mendes bearing in mind that Leao has been ordered to pay circa €16m to his former club Sporting CP after the unilateral termination of his contract in 2018.
The 23-year-old has a €150m clause included in his contract, which is not valid in the final weeks of the summer transfer window.