Milan star Sandro Tonali believes Charles De Ketelaere needs time while Rafael Leao ‘must make the best decision for himself’ but ‘looks serene.’
Leao will hold new contract talks with the Rossoneri in the coming weeks. His current deal expires in June 2024, so the Serie A giants will be forced to sell in the summer if they fail to reach an agreement with their star striker by the end of the season.
“His story is a bit like mine, now he will decide what to do,” Tonali told Gazzetta.
“I can only say that he is serene, I am not in his head, I don’t influence his decisions. He knows what’s the best thing. He must take the best decision, first of all for him and then for us.”
Ismael Bennacer’s contract also expires in June 2024, but the Algeria international seems closer to reaching an agreement with the Rossoneri.
“Ismael is crucial to us, I can’t describe him differently,” said Tonali.
“He is everywhere, he runs for all and has quality. Playing close to him makes everything easier. I hope he stays, he knows what it means to play for Milan, even more than me because he joined the club earlier. He knows our path and what we can do together in the future.”
De Ketelaere, on the other hand, joined the Serie A champions last summer for over €32m but has been struggling to justify his price tag at San Siro.
“I can talk because it’s a situation I already experienced. To me, it was a bit easier because I started paying consistently when games were played behind closed doors,” the Italian midfielder claimed.
“I could afford a mistake because there was less pressure on me.
“Charles is very strong, he needs time, like any young player coming from a different league. Things will change when he’ll get regular playing time, it’s a psychological thing, but time is on his side.”
The Rossoneri sit second in the Serie A table, eight points behind leaders Napoli who are the only unbeaten team in Italy’s top flight. Do Milan still believe in the title?
“I wonder why we should not believe in it. We are optimistic for two reasons, first because we are not even halfway in the season and season because this Milan side is really strong,” noted Tonali.
“With players returning from injuries including Ibra we’ll be even more competitive. He will be our added value.
“Surely we have more experience [than last season]. It’s true that we dropped some points and there were games that didn’t make us entirely satisfied. It’s an error we don’t want to repeat and the target is to win all games, we have the quality to do it.
“We know the difference between finishing first and second and we want to experience the same joy as last year.”
What’s his rapport with Pioli and how is the Italian coach helping the team?
“He talks so much with us, he gives us suggestions. The last one is from two days ago, but I can’t reveal what he told me. Pioli is our leader, he helps us and tries to take the best out of us. He is the person who, more than anyone else, gives us balance on and off the pitch,” Tonali concluded.
…sell Leao and take Mudryk 😏…
@ArronAx and repeat the need time to adapt – settled – go cycle.. uhmm how about no?
Agree on Mudryk. He’s a storm, as monstrous as Khvicha. Be quick, or his price tag would be doubled or tripled shortly.
His price Tag is already beyond Milans capability.