Journalist Franco Ordine believes that Rafael Leao still has some developing to do before he reaches the level of a player like Vinicius Junior, and AC Milan can help him do that.
Vinicius Jr. is actually younger than Leao but there is no doubting that he continues to be among the most decisive players in world football, given he has 18 goals and 9 assists in 35 league games for Real Madrid this season. Most recently he netted a brace to spark a comeback in Tuesday’s 5-2 win at Anfield.
While there is no doubting the talent of Leao and how crucial he has been in Milan’s resurgence over the past two or three seasons, he is yet to consistently demonstrate his quality in the top European competitions.
That means he still has some gears to go through, and Franco Ordine spoke about the two left wingers in his column for MilanNews.
“Carlo Ancelotti says after having ‘gutted’ Anfield with the 5-2 win over Liverpool: ‘Vinicius is the most decisive footballer in the world’. He says this not only because he was the subversive who put Real Madrid back on track by two goals but because he recalls that he was also the decider of the Champions League final last year,” he said.
“I took a cue from this definition by Charlemagne, a Cup specialist, to get to Leao who is slowly recovering his best physical health in view of the decisive weeks of the Milan season. Up to Monza he had some high notes and some ‘bass’ according to ancient tradition.
“This means that until he becomes, I’m not saying like the Brazilian from Madrid, but at least like the Georgian from Naples [Khvicha Kvaratskhelia], the doors of the most prestigious European clubs won’t open for him.
“Not only that, but even the calculations of his agents will decrease as the weeks go by if prestigious evenings in the Champions League do not arrive, which is the only attractive stage.
“On the point, then, better to be clear. Now the return leg against Tottenham is around the corner. Depending on how the Champions League qualification will end, it will be possible to think of putting the negotiation back on the table and concluding a negotiation (in one sense or another) which is becoming as painful as any previous one.
“Paolo Maldini says: ‘Whoever wants to stay, signs in the en'”. Quite right. But we also have to ask ourselves: is it possible that we never manage to overcome some resistance from players to deadlines and relative prosecutors? Not even one?”
