AC Milan are not expected to be able to secure the renewal of Rafael Leao before the break for the World Cup, according to a report.
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According to Calciomercato.com, the issue relating to Leao’s renewal will have to be reopened in January after the World Cup which is not what Paolo Maldini had in his plans, and his value risks skyrocketing if he has a good tournament.
The Portuguese winger is happy at Milan where his contract expires in 2024 and the Rossoneri obviously want to keep him, but as Maldini reiterated at the beginning of October: “We need the right conditions.”
Two weeks before the start of Qatar 2022, it seems there is simply not enough time to get the agreement over the line because of the issues that complicate things such as the €19m fine jointly owned by the player and Lille to Sporting CP.
Then there is the obvious issue of salary as Leao earns €2m net per season including bonuses currently, and to keep him this figure must be more than tripled. Maldini and Massara are in constant contact with the agents of Leao, namely Jorge Mendes – who represented him for years – and the French lawyer Ted Dimvula who took power of attorney at the beginning of 2022.
No meetings are planned in the coming weeks, but in the last few weeks Leao has sent some signals. He went over to the fans at the end of the game at the Stadion Maksimir after the 4-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb, to acknowledge the song from the fans dedicated to him, smiling and with a hand on his heart.
