Rafael Leao explains it was ‘always my goal to stay’ at Milan and can see himself staying ‘for many years’ after signing a new contract. ‘I can improve on a daily basis, I feel at home’ with special praise for Stefano Pioli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The forward agreed the new deal three weeks ago, but only formally announced it this afternoon and sat down for an interview with the iconic Duomo cathedral in the background, the symbol of the city of Milan.
His contract will now run to June 2028 and include a release clause set at €175m, valid only for a couple of weeks in July.
“I am very happy, extending the contract is what I wanted,” Leao told the official club channel.
For a while, it had seemed as if the deal was never going to happen and run down to June 2024, with clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, PSG and Real Madrid hovering.
“I told the club and my teammates that my goal was to stay here. Eventually we managed to reach an agreement for me to continue here.
“Milano is my home, the day I arrived, everyone welcomed me with open arms. Everyone supported me during the difficult times. Here I can improve on a daily basis. I feel at home.
“Thanks to the faith in me, I can reach the top and win trophies here. Everybody at AC Milan is like a family to me, they are helping me big time in doing what I’m doing on the pitch.
“This enables me to be an important player for my team, which is what I had been looking for before coming to Milan.”
Leao admits full well that he is not yet the finished article and that Milan helped him to develop after a difficult start to his Serie A career, showing the kind of patience that other clubs probably would not have done.
“My numbers were very low for the first two seasons here. I may have left one or two players trailing, but I didn’t score when I got sight of goal or provide an assist. These days I am a different player, more responsible and aware of when I need to pass and when to shoot. I’ve become a lot more efficient as well thanks to the way I’m training and the help of the coach.
“At a certain point it dawned on Pioli how to raise my level and what I needed to do to make the difference on the field. Off the pitch, he gives me tips every single day.
“My goal is to win as many competitions as possible with this club. I want to relive the emotions we felt when we won the Scudetto. That’s when I realised the size of this club. It’s enormous.”
Leao praised the city of Milan and can “see myself living here for many years.”
The Rossoneri aim to build on the squad that won the Scudetto and this season reached the Champions League semi-finals.
“I want to thank the club for their hard work to ensure the best players stay here. Last year we showed everybody that this blend of younger and older players can make a strong team.
“I am delighted that I can continue playing with them. Ibra is like an older brother, he has a wealth of experience, having played so many games and is a valuable resource for us younger players.
“He’s taught me never to give up. Even upon our return to the locker room at half-time and I already scored a goal, he’ll tell me that I need to get another one. Before a big game, he’ll tell me Rafa you have to show everyone who you are and what you can do.
“He’s been incredibly important for my development as a footballer.”
The principle issue with Leao remains his inconsistency, but at Milan he has found the right level of pressure and supportive patience to aid his development.
“I was young when I joined Milan, but I was already aware of the stature of the club. But only after wearing the shirt at San Siro in front of the fans, you realise it’s not easy. In these four years, I’ve got used to the fans. I am proud and can’t wait to continue writing my story here.
“I’d like to thank everyone for their patience in supporting me and the team. When I go to restaurants, people greet me with a smile and that leaves me speechless. I want to keep on scoring and creating lots of goals, to showcase my talent.”