In June 2023, Portuguese international footballer Rafael Leao agreed to an extension on his contract at AC Milan, which would keep him at the Serie A side until 2028 and ended speculation that he might leave.
The contract extension would see him earn around €7m per season, including bonuses. However, recent rumours have suggested the prolific winger has stated that, since extending his contract, he has reached the ‘end of a cycle’ at Milan.
Let’s dive straight in to discover which clubs could potentially end up signing Rafael Leao if he decides to leave Milan at the end of the current 2023-24 campaign.
Which teams are in the running?
Since rumours started that Rafael Leao could leave AC Milan way before his contract extension expires, many top-flight European clubs have been linked with the 24-year-old Portuguese winger.
Kylian Mbappe has also been linked with a move away from French Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to join Spanish La Liga side Real Madrid, which has led many to speculate that he could be the perfect replacement for Mbappe and will most likely join PSG during the 2024 summer transfer window.
However, according to other reports, Leao has already said he would prefer to move to either the English Premier League (EPL) or La Liga instead of returning to Ligue 1, where he had a brief spell at Lille from 2018 to 19. While at Lille, he played 24 games and scored 8 goals.
There are currently no odds or betting markets for which team he might join available at any fully licensed and regulated bitcoin sportsbooks, meaning it’s not possible to check the odds to see how likely it is that Leao will leave AC Milan this summer.
It is also unclear yet whether any LaLiga sides have officially shown any interest in signing Leao, but EPL side Newcastle United have expressed interest in him.
If he did make a shock move back to Ligue 1, PSG could easily afford him, and amid Newcastle United’s current financial difficulties, they may not be able to equal or improve the substantial financial package that PSG would offer.
Some of the other EPL teams that have also been suggested are Manchester United, Chelsea, and Manchester City.
How is Milan’s season going?
AC Milan are currently in third place in Serie A, below second-place Juventus and league leaders Inter Milan, and they are also in the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League.
They were in the UEFA Champions League but came third in Group F below second-place PSG and group winners Borussia Dortmund. Finishing the group 3rd and not rock bottom meant they qualified for a spot in the Europa League knockout stages.
Can Milan win trophies?
To find out if AC Milan can win Serie A or the UEFA Europa League, the best thing to do would be to compare the odds currently available on any of the trusted online bookmakers featured on reputable iGaming review sites like BitEdge.com.
Let’s take a quick look at the latest odds for AC Milan to win the either league this year or the Europa League:
- Serie A – currently only the third odds-on favourite team to win the league. Fractional odds: 25/1. Decimal odds: 26.00. American/moneyline odds: +2,500. Implied probability rate: 3.80%
- UEFA Europa League – they are also the third odds-on favourite team to win the league. Fractional odds: 11/1. Decimal odds: 12.00. American/moneyline odds: +1,100. Implied probability rate: 8.30%
In other words, AC Milan have a much better chance of winning the Europa League compared to their chances of winning Serie A. Don’t forget that these odds are subject to change at any time.
