The comments from Paolo Maldini at the Globe Soccer Awards last night confirmed what most AC Milan fans believed to be reality regarding two key renewals.
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MilanNews write that while the sensation had already been in the air for some time, Maldini’s comments last night confirmed that the intention is to renew Ismael Bennacer during the break for the World Cup, but for Rafael Leao it will continue into 2023.
After receiving an award on stage with Ricky Massara for the best sporting directors of 2022, Maldini spoke to Sky about the ongoing negotiations to lock down two core players for the future.
“We have been thinking about it for months and years. When the time comes we meet, when a decision has to be made, we will make it. Now make predictions… The idea was to close before the World Cup, especially for the players who went to the World Cup, in this case for Leao but it wasn’t possible,” he said.
Three weeks ago, Leao’s lawyer met the Rossoneri management at Casa Milan, but it was already obvious that things would take a long time considering the many variables such as the big pay rise request, the confusion over who actually represents him and the fine owed to Sporting CP.
The extension of Bennacer, on the other hand, seems more straightforward: “With Bennacer, we will have the opportunity to speak with him and his agents in these days.”
After last season’s negotiations, the requests of the Algerian have increased and these have been legitimised by the performances on the field and by the centrality that the player has assumed in the Rossoneri’s project.
An agreement could close shortly on the basis of €4m net per season plus bonuses, maintaining, increasing or eliminating the €50m release clause in the current contract.
