New AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli had a private meeting with forward Rafael Leao on Tuesday, according to a report.
The Portugal U21 international arrived from Lille in a €28million deal this summer and after struggling for opportunities under Marco Giampaolo at first, he has made a breakthrough.
Leao opened his account for the club with a tremendous solo goal at San Siro against Fiorentina, and has been one of the only bright spots in recent weeks.
La Gazzetta dello Sport (as cited by MilanNews.it) stated on Wednesday that Leao is a player that Pioli really likes, and therefore the Portuguese starlet is also expected to be a foundation of his side.
According to Calciomercato.com, Pioli’s Milan will see Leao feature heavily.
Yesterday at Milanello, the coach held a one-to-one interview with the former Sporting CP talent, and it is likely that he will start against Lecce along with Krzysztof Piatek and Suso in an attacking trident.
Pioli’s goal is to get Piatek back into form by putting him at ease in a 4-3-3 system, but if it does not go well then Leao could be used as a centre-forward instead, the report claims.
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