Throughout the history of AC Milan, you can find some of the best talents in the world, and it was hoped that Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao would cement themselves, but this has not happened.
At one point in time, if you were told that sentence would be written, you would probably laugh. After all, this is Theao we are writing about. However, the current reality is that it is the regular involving the duo.
Talk of their phenomena has dwindled rapidly, and now we are left with moments of their excellence, rather than the prolonged spells of the past.
Gazzetta dello Sport starts with an anecdote about how quality footballers are only the best with application, consistency and character. This, really, is where Leao and Theo suffer the most. Their talent together or separately is easily identifiable. However, their issues with showing it regularly cause bumps.
The reality is quite simple, on paper, they have the mark of potential ‘champions, leaders, class’. Yet, both struggle with showing that, making the dream of Theao like an ‘illusion’.
Currently, the ‘stars are without light’ and this is causing doubt to creep in. Leao has already been blessed with a hefty contract – the Rossoneri ‘did everything’ to gamble on the star of the future. However, with Theo, it is not as simple.
Reports are suggesting that the road for Theo leads away from Milano, but what is the price to pay for this idea? Both financially and in terms of the squad…
If a team offers 50+ for Theo I think Milan have to take it.
I would also accept less. He only has 1-year contract left. And we can miss those 1 in 5 good games.
That ship may have sailed – he’s got a year left in the summer and I can’t see anyone wanting to pay large amounts – then he’ll probably go as a free agent at the end of his contract.. May be better to sell Leao and buy a decent LB and some quality for the midfield. Then we may be able to extend Theo for another year or two, but that will depend on whether he is prepared to temper his salary expectations…
No one is offering 50, 25 maybe after as season like this
Como offered 40+
The only way milan can move forward is if they leave. Just a bit of a shame we didnt do it earlier and got more money for them both
Sell both…close this chapter…reinvest… These 2 players have either reached their ceiling or maybe need a coach that can reinvent them. And there are not many coaches out there willing to come to us. In the interest of their careers maybe a different environment might help with their growth. If Milan is not benefitting from having them around and their careers are regressing it might be in both parties interest to part ways. The team will survive, and long after they have left we might choose to only remember the scudetto and that memorable run by both under Pioli. Tough conversation but necessary.
Leao is not a 90-minute player and is not a starter. In this season, he played the best games when he came off the bench. The lack of midfield players proved to be a mistake. We didn’t need Felix and Sottil, but someone in the middle of the field. And let me ask: How is it possible that in Rotterdam every shot into the frame of the goal was caught by the goalkeeper? What kind of shots were they?
Como was the only team that has shown a real interest in Theo. That’s all you need to know what teams think of him around Europe.
PSG gave Nuno Mendes a new contract.
Bayern resigned Alphonso Davies.
Real haven’t thought of Theo since they sold him.
The interest in Leao came form Saudi Arabia.
Teams have seen both of their behaviors and performances. Their fanboys can try to attack everyone who tells the truth about these 2, look for excuses and blame everyone and their mothers, but clubs around Europe know what they are watching. They know that they are not top players.
Too bad Milan decided to build their team with these 2 at the center of it.
Leao is at Milan because his price tag. If he was worth 50M like all the other players in the team he would be bought by another club a long time ago. WHen he was Serie A best player and Milan won the title. Remember? There is no reason to attack you, but you don’t understand the basics of economy. Chelsea paid 53M for a player they didn’t need and is now on loan to Milan. Your idea that nobody wants Theo or Leao is just your idea.
Leao fanboys tell me that he is a great player and keep telling us to remember that one season back in the day when Leao was supposedly the best player in the league.
1st of all Leao was NEVER the best player in the league. NEVER!!! Serie A giving him the MVP doesn’t mean he is the best player in the league because they are giving the award to a player on a team that won the title not to the actual best player in the league. In 2015 NBA finals Lebron averaged 36 points, 13 rebounds and 9 assists and the MVP was given to Andre Iguodala who averaged 16, 6 and 4 and supposedly did a great job defending Lebron. Who was the best player then Lebron or Iguodala? They gave the award to one of the player on the team that won. And just like at Milan they gave it to the wrong player since Steph Curry was warriors best player just like Maignan and Giroud were for Milan.
Leao had 11g and 10a in that one season, while Domenico Berardi had 15g and 17 assists. They play the same position, winger.
If Leao or Theo are so great then price tags wouldn’t matter. Other players have high price tags and still get sold while there is almost no interest in Theo and Leao from any top club in Europe.
Rich people buy quality things no matter the price tag, you’d understand that if you actually understand the basics of economy.
But thanks for proving my point that Leao and Theo fanboys have unlimited excuses. But at least you have to remember that one year out of 6 Leao has been at Milan.
I don’t disagree with Leao’s poor form? But he’s been at the center of everything good that has happened to Milan since his transfer:
Scudetto
CL semis
Supercoppa
You are calling people fanboys for not agreeing with you. That is all other people need to know about you.
But let’s ignore the evident lack of balls on you and try this. Which player did better in the Scudetto season? Who was the best player by you? Who scored most goals for Milan in the past 3 seasons? Who was it, Leao, Giroud, who? IF we add assists, who had most contribution in the past 3 years? I want people to read how well you know Milan and how objective you are.
Let’s not forget Leao beating Napoli on his own basically, in CL quarter finals. And so on. I mean it is a bit sad that there is a Milan “fan” that is so negative about the statistically and objectively the best Milan player in the past 5 years. Pulisic is now coming up with a shout of his own, but that is it, Nobody else is even close.
Even last season when jokes like you called for Leao to be sold at the end of season, because he is so bad and what not, Leao played less minutes than Pulisic and contributed to 5 goals more. How can such a bad player even statistically be better than golden boy Pulisic? You can’t fake stats, you can write stories that have nothing to do with football, maybe mention some table tennis competition and who was MVP to prove a point about Leao and Serie A? Great job!
Yes, and midfield was invisible because of these 2. You can sell Theo and Leao and midfield will still be s**t. It won’t fix Reijnders and Fofana double pivot ever. They can’t do it.
So realistically Milan needs 2 proper midfielders. Fofana Reijnders is not working, they couldn’t keep up with some really bad Aerie A midfielders from bottom teams. One of them should go, Reijnders you can get 50-60M. What is the point of an attacking midfielder in double pivot when you have attacking midfielders up front? Sell Leao or Theo, not both. Both is an idiotic idea. What you need is Leao with a more defensive LB or Theo with Saelemakers, a more defensive winger. It is evident to anyone that has a working brain. You can’t have 2 of them playing together on the same side without proper DM to cover. Milan has Reijnders and Fofana in midfield. Which one of them can cover defensively? Fofana is trying, but really bad and Reijnders can’t do that, not that type of player. So, 1 each out of these 2 pairs can be sold and you can build a more balanced team.
I agree and I would try to sell Fofana and bring in a defensive midfielder.
I wouldn’t sell Theo. It’s like us to extend his contract and spend money on a defensive midfielder and a quality center back which will mean they both might be expensive.
Fofana is more useful than Reijnders if you keep Leao and Theo in the 1st team lineup. Joao Felix, Pulisic, Reijnders, Leao and Gimenez can’t be in the same team. So Reijnders or Joao Felix or Leao are out of this story.
How can anyone be a star without a team behind them?
There are a few players in Milan that can shine every now and then but the team performance is too bad overall.
Theo is tired and we will not get a good replacement for the money. Cheaper to keep him with a new contract. Come back fresh next season.
Leao still has a contract for a while. No rush to sell.
Bring in a real defensive midfielder who can shield the defence.
We need at least one class center back next season.
Sergio needs to change the way we play. This way of passing and pressing is not going to make us successful.
There is a chance for us to be much better in the second leg in CL but we really need to be able to play well in Serie A first.
Sell them and bring tonali back, get ricci as well and that stabilized the midfield. I’d say get retegui but we just got Jimenez unfortunately
Hernandez is as good as gone. He clearly has no intention of bettering himself. The player changed once Maldini was sacked.
Pioli and Maldini shouldn’t have been sacked.
This is where our problems started from.
And why the hell was Bennaci allowed to leave last month?
Both Theo and Leoa’s body languages during games p!sses me off.
Fonseca couldn’t deal with their attitude well enough and he was axed.
This season has been sh!t load of inconsistencies.
Management might as well be our problem.
Both are done. Their peaks were two years ago. Sad and hard to accept because they are still young. You don’t have to be too old to be weak when you’ve poor mentality.