A lot of the speculation surrounding AC Milan at the moment is about potential additions to the squad, but the management know maintaining the core is just as important.
Rafael Leao’s absence is one that has been felt in recent weeks with other forwards like Rade Krunic forced to work overtime as Ante Rebic was out too. Calciomercato.com reports that there is another factor that made Milan miss Leao: the Portuguese winger had 42 attempts on goal before his injury, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic having the second-most at 36.
Pioli cannot wait to get him back and January will be a very important month for Leao, not just because of his return to action but also regarding his future. The Rossoneri want to extend his current deadline of 2024 because offers from England and Germany have already arrived, so negotiations to extend his contract until 2026 have begun.
Directors Maldini and Massara are pushing and have already arranged a meeting with Jorge Mendes to define the final details of the deal, which should see the former Lille star earn €4m net per season – around double what he currently gets.
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