Rafael Leao hasn’t scored for more than a month and according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Portuguese star is ‘feeling the pressure’ after a recent contract extension while his entourage offers another cause for concern.
Leao has scored three goals in 13 appearances across all competitions this season and the last time he found the net was 40 days ago, in a 1-0 win over Hellas Verona.
La Gazzetta dello Sport analyses Leao’s ‘Autumn Crisis’ saying that the Portuguese star ‘feels pressure’ after signing a contract extension a few months ago.
Leao is on a €7m-a-year deal at San Siro plus add-ons, so Milan will invest €45m until 2028 in the 24-year-old, provided he stays until the end of his contract.
Leao has become Milan’s highest-paid player and their new No.10 so he has to cope with expectations which have never been this high in his career.
Another matter of concern comes from the striker’s entourage, reports Gazzetta.
Ted Dimvula, a French lawyer and close friend of Leao’s father Antonio, has signed a contract to represent the Milan star valid until February 2024, but Jorge Mendes remains in the frame and is pushing to take over again from next year.
According to Gazzetta, this situation is affecting Leao on the pitch as well, so the striker has been unable to match expectations so far this season.
The Portuguese forward looked irritable when he was subbed off in the second half of a Serie A game against Napoli on Sunday, but according to Gazzetta, he cleared the air with coach Stefano Pioli after the match.