No progress has been made in Rafael Leao’s contract renewal talks with Milan after the club’s latest offer, with one factor in particular creating distance between the parties.
The Portugese star’s contract expires with the Rossoneri in June 2024 and the club have been keen to tie him down to a new deal for months now. After the World Cup in Qatar, Milan offered Leao a long-term contract worth around €7m net per season, hoping this would be the step needed to find an agreement.
As detailed by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan have not managed to progress the contract renewal talks with Leao following their latest offer, with the release clause issue proving particularly problematic.
The 23-year-old’s current release clause is €150m and he’d like that halved to around €70-80m in the new deal. The club, on the other hand, would prefer to remove it entirely and have no intention of halving the current clause.
Tensions are reportedly running high between the player and director Paolo Maldini and their last face to face meeting ended abruptly.