Rafael Leao celebrates turning 26 today, and AC Milan hope it will not be the last birthday he has at the club.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) write, in a rather modest season Leao has won two titles: the Supercoppa Italiana with Milan and the UEFA Nations League with Portugal. In both cases, with positive performances as a substitute.
On Sunday night he came on for the last 15 minutes (plus extra-time) while scouts from Bayern Munich were apparently sitting in the home stands, though the game was played at the Allianz Arena. Perhaps it was to judge Leao’s attitude and form, given his characteristics are now well known.
A nine-figure fee needed
Milan have set their actual asking price, amid Leao’s €175m release clause: €100m. They hope it will be enough to discourage those interested because the winger has not yet distinguished himself at an international level.
In Serie A he was the MVP in the year of the Scudetto win, but he has never really maintained an elite level for long. In the Champions League he is stuck at six total goals, in the national team at five. Furthermore, he didn’t score a single goal at San Siro in the league in the last season.
Despite his rollercoaster performance levels, the club will not give discounts and will only evaluate a certain type of counterparts and not those with big salaries, rather young talent who can be developed.
The amount to be paid in cash would therefore remain very high, so that Milan can then decide how to reinvest it. A figure that at the moment no one seems willing to pay, not even in Munich. Leao would thus remain in Milan and with a central role in Allegri’s plans.
It would be a team that will make defensive solidity its main stylistic feature, then Rafa’s accelerations could prove deadly. Even if on the left he will no longer be seen paired with Theo, officially on the market.
The chance to be a leader
If Leao were to remain at Milan, he would become potentially the longest-serving player aside from the academy graduates. Having arrived at the Rossoneri in the summer of 2019, he would begin his seventh season in Milan, with 260 total appearances and 70 goals.
After his beginnings under Marco Giampaolo, the growth under Stefano Pioli and the involution with his compatriots Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceiçao, Rafa is looking for a coach who can consolidate him at the top level.
Allegri’s experience could certainly help him, more than an adventure in Saudi Arabia, where Al Nassr seem oriented to try again. The idea is to help Ronaldo win the second title in Saudi, after the Arab Club Champions Cup, together with his national teammate.
But if Cristiano has declared that he will stay and that he is now at the end of his career, for Leao it is a crucial moment and making the wrong choice would compromise his entire football history.
Rafa’s will
Leao has never expressed a desire other than remaining in the Rossoneri. Sometimes he doesn’t show a strong sense of belonging but it is now understood that this is his way. Take it or leave it.
And Milan for now takes, while to leave it would take a lot. It is the strategy that applies to all the players in the squad. No one is for sale, but any huge proposals are listened to.
One hundred million falls into this category: the new director Tare would be freer to rebuild the team without rigid economic constraints. Even if the logic of the market would suggest finding a replacement immediately, before the others know the real budget available.
For now, it’s just talk. The facts say that Leao can be the man to relaunch. And in the meantime he can celebrate: a trophy and his 26th birthday.
They say don’t wish your life away, but every June I find myself wishing I could fast forward to the day after transfer deadline day 😀
Let’s play milan fantasy. I will start:
—————-Chevalier——————
—-Scalvini–Gabbia–Pavlovic—-
Jimenez———————-De Cyper
————-Fofana—-Ricci————–
—————–Arda Guler—————-
————Gimenez—–David———-
(All this considering that we will sell MM, Tomori, Thiaw, Kalulu, Theo, Adli, Pobega, Benny, Reijnders, RLC, Leao, Puli, Colombo, Rebic and I don’t know who else😅)
(if the news is true. Not sure coz too many gossip nowadays) Then the management act correctly this time. I am sick seeing the other clubs play lowball on Milan players, just because they are in the last year of contract. Yes, Milan also play lowball, but not that low! Theo was asked for 15 mil, same as Maignan. They are, regardless their recently drop performance, are still regular starting 11 for France. Often touted as one of the best players in their position, although I am not 100% agree for that, especially for Theo due to his lack of defensive skill (and eagerness). But still, they are not “nobody” nor 1 season wonder overpriced EPL player.
And for Leao, he is not in his last year of contract, so stand ground, management!
“No one is for sale”
FFS, Emerson Royal better be for sale!!!!!!!!!!! 😀 :D: D
And Musah, RLC, Pobega etc etc…
LOL, No discounts?
They asking 100m for a player with 175m release clause.
That would like an invitation to bids
I’m sure they will take 75m, 55m plus bonuses of course
Asking for the full 175M€ would be too much of a bluff.
But then again what would be the point of a clause if we do not refer to it.
If you put a price of 100m on a player with a 175m release clause, you are not trying to scare off anyone, quite the opposite, you are inviting bids
I can see Milan finishing close to relegation zone next season,like Man Utd.
No mention of getting rid of the dead wood, they start by selling our best player, the easiest player to sell. Some people wanted Theo/Leao sold, despite the have been our best players for years, but Tiji? The fact they sold him just clearly illustrates they have no sporting ambition whatsoever.
I’m not on here that much anymore as I am sick of these owners and their fans, I’ll be waiting for them all to move on to the next franchise
No one wants our deadwood. That’s how stellar our mercatos have been.
Bye 👋
We don’t want weaklings like you either.
Go cheer for your original merda club.
Good to see management finally doing the right thing – “100mil take it or leave it”..
Our club and team have been trashed by these disgusting and incompetent owners. We need to boycott.
That should start with nobody buying season tickets
Look who’s boycotting… have you bought tickets before?
Online hero.
Merda
Unlike you I have been to San Siro many times over the last 35 years.
Was planning on going in Sept with my brother, another life long Milan fan.
It’s easy to claim whatever you want behind your keyboard.
Real fans who spend money on the club don’t speak so dumb like you.
Perhaps you might have seen the “real fans” protest regularly in the stadium and outside the club offices. Including walking out of the match
Grow up dude, stop licking Gerry balls and see what is happening
Protest is normal.
Now, the fans who walked out of the stadium are the real fans, they bought the tickets regardless.
But machineries look for every opportunity to boycott purchase.
Grow up buddy, stop hunting for Gerry’s balls and see what is happening.
So they decided to scare Bayern with 100M request, for a player that has a 175M clause? And you people read this and think it is normal? If you want to scare a club away, you point to the 175M clause? Not cut it almost in half before even negotiating?
The don’t know how to sell. There are no football minds there. Just Harvard educated managers/accountants.
If only they would put so much hard work into getting rid of the deadwood as they are with our stars.
Nobody. Wants. Our. Deadwood …
I think there are options for most.
It is amazing those Turks wanted Emerson and he is probably the worst of the lot.
RLC – Newly promoted EPL team looking to add depth and experience
Musah- Napoli or USA
Pobega – Torino
Chucky – whichever EPL team that almost bought him in Jan
That kind of thing
I thought you said you outta here, I bade you farewell, WTF are you still doing here?
You better grow up and honor your words.
That’s why they need to start working on those deals and get them out of here.
If you want to scare them off 100m are you serious!!!! If you want to scare them off ask for 180m…
Coutinho had a release clause of €400m but was sold for just €20m without referring to it due to many factors that play out during player transfers.
Dembele had a release clause of €50m and Halaand €60m. Their buying clubs simply paid the clauses instead of negotiating. They were refereed to because the player’s valuation was above the release clause, so there was no point to negotiate as they were already getting the players on a cheap.
But were the release clause is above the players actual valuation, they have to simply negotiate if a transfer must materialise. As of today, Leao’s valuation is below €175m.
That was why Leao wanted s lower release clause when negotiating the contract.
Release clauses are never a true reflection of the player’s valuation, that is why they are always highly inflated to protect the club.
B. Dortmund and Barcelona made serious errors in setting release clauses which were not highly inflated in these two player transfers.
Milan need to buy Renato veiga from Chelsea to help our defense