Today’s game between AC Milan and Inter will feature a battle on the field between Rafael Leao and Milan Skriniar, but they have something in common off the field.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport reports, both Leao and Skriniar are crucial players to their respective teams and will have a big say in who lifts the Supercoppa Italiana tonight in Saudi Arabia, but both are at a crossroads in their career where they know they could earn big money from one of the richest clubs in Europe.
The renewal of Leao has been written about and speculated over extensively in recent months, and the paper reports that Milan made him an offer not far from €7m net per season and aims to resolve everything by the end of January.
In recent weeks, the Portuguese winger first made it clear that he was thinking very seriously about signing, but then he didn’t accelerate. Indeed, the situation is deadlocked, with at least two issues to resolve: the relationship between the agents (specifically commissions) and the release clause.
The situation is quite simple though: if Leao wants to remain at Milan, then an agreement will be reached. If negotiations continue and drag on then everything is postponed, with a summer sale at that point much more likely.
Skriniar goes for free. Milan is one of the worst world clubs in outgoing transfers.