Former AC Milan midfielder Massimo Ambrosini has said that the renewal of Rafael Leao will depend on his feelings and that the comparisons between Charles De Ketelaere and Kaka were unfair.
Speaking during an interview with Tuttosport (via Pianeta Milan) on Wednesday, Ambrosini discussed a number of topics around the current Milan setup and the players.
One of the major topics around Milan right now is the renewal of Rafael Leao’s contract. The Portuguese forward is being chased by plenty of big clubs and he is out of contract in June 2024.
Speaking about Leao and his future, Ambrosini said that the renewal will depend on the player.
“The boy is still within a growth process. Mother Nature has endowed him with a talent better than the other, and that is why he should not be satisfied with what he is doing. Limiting these lapses in form is up to him alone,” Ambrosini said.
“Leao at Milan is protected, well-liked and hardly questioned. I repeat, it [the renewal] depends on him. The six months post-World Cup will be decisive to see if he can make the leap to the Champions League as well.”
Another current player that Ambrosini discussed is De Ketelaere, who is yet to have the impact that Milan feel he has the potential for.
Ambrosini thinks that the early comparisons that were made between the Belgian youngster and Brazilian legend Kaka were unfair.
“There is one every 50 years of players like Kaka. When Ricky arrived in Italy this sport was changing and he was a different type of footballer,” Ambrosini said
“That’s why comparing him to De Ketelaere was unfair. But I think that parallelism was short-lived given how different the two are as players.
“Why is he struggling? Coming into a new world, he is very careful to apply himself to what is required of him. I think that has taken some of the lightheartedness out of his game.”