A report has emerged from Portugal this morning suggesting that Rafael Leao’s renewal could be about to get an awful lot simpler.
The newspaper Record are making the bold claim that Lille will take in the full payment of the fine owed to Sporting CP after the unilateral termination of the contract on the part of the player in the summer of 2018 after the attack on the training ground by ultras of the Lisbon club.
According to Record, Lille will take full responsibility for the total €20.3m (€16.5m in compensation plus €3.8m in interest) following an appeal before the Swiss Federal Court which they lost, which confirmed the ruling made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.
If this news is confirmed, Leao will no longer be deprived of 20% of his annual salary which is currently deducted from him as a sum to be paid to Sporting towards the fine.
Lille signed Leao on a free transfer on 1 August 2018 as they were convinced that they would never have had to compensate Sporting but the decision of the TAD (Portuguese court) changed the scenario.
This would of course drastically change the situation in relation to Leao’s renewal, as the fine would no longer be overhanging in the negotiations which could continue more serenely.
