AC Milan are playing for everything in the last month of the season and they need Rafael Leao to be at his best in order to get back to winning ways.
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La Gazzetta dello Sport writes how Leao is entering a sort of personal trilogy between now and the end of the season whereby he is looking to set a new high for goals in a single season, guide the team to the Champions League final and also finally resolve his renewal.
The successes of the individual benefit the collective which is why Milan need the best version of Leao, who has 13 goals this season – 12 in the league, one in the Champions League – and is aiming to go past the 14 he got last season.
What appears more evident in watching him play, compared to a year ago, is that he is more at ease on the field. He acts less with instinct and more calmly, shaped by Pioli’s decision to go back to a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Since the beginning of April, Leao has amassed 4 goals and 3 assists in 8 games which means that he is also finding a way to be decisive even when he doesn’t score, and at the most important time of the season.
The biggest stage awaits as Milan will play city rivals Inter in two legs over six days for the right to face Manchester City or Real Madrid in the Champions League final, while also fighting to secure a place in the next edition of the competition.
In terms of Leao’s future, the winger has chosen to follow the advice of Pioli and Maldini as he believes that staying is the best option, a choice endorsed by the family and in particular by his father.
The position of Lille has also contributed to the unblocking of the situation, as they have agreed to pay Sporting CP the €20m needed to settle the compensation imposed by the courts. The last obstacle is Sporting’s appeal, as they want €45m as that was the release clause in Leao’s deal was set while he was there.
There is optimism filtering from Milan and the situation could even be closed before the Euroderby, but if his signature does not arrive by the end of the season, a sale must be considered.
