Journalist Alfredo Pedullà believes that the confidence that the AC Milan management have regarding Rafael Leao’s renewal is ‘not justified’.
The Leao renewal saga continues to take up plenty of space in the newspaper and online with his contract set to expire in June 2024 and nothing to suggest that talks are moving towards an agreement ahead of the summer window.
If there were no pen on paper by the end of the season then the management would have to think about selling their most valuable asset rather than run the risk of letting him leave on a free transfer the following year.
Alfredo Pedulla spoke in an editorial for Sportitalia and gave an update on the state of play regarding the possible contract extension of the Portuguese forward. His comments were relayed by PianetaMilan.
“At least Mr. Rafael has the good sense and good taste not to make fun of others. In short, he doesn’t act like Franck [Kessie] who swore he wanted to stay at Milan. Rafael is Leao, Franck is simply Kessie, maybe it’s superfluous to add it but in any case, it’s better to do it,” he said.
“Leao rejected the unfounded optimists, they had guaranteed his renewal with respect to the contract expiring in 2024. It was the optimism that came from Casa Milan, not justified by the facts. Leao limited himself to saying that he is fine in Rossoneri. ‘At the end of the season we’ll see’, he added and here he contradicted himself a bit.
“If there were real will, we should talk and make it concrete now. His story has always been messed up, because the story of the fine weighs but if there was a will, a solution would be found.”
So tired of reading about Leao and his issue with the fine of his illegitimate transfer from Sporting to Lille.
Milan is trying to quadruple his salary, that would help him pay of his fine. He could sign that contract and if he outperforms that contract offered by Milan now, he can always ask next year for a raise or to ask to leave. In today’s sports the players have all the power.
Milan will not keep Leao if he asks to leave.
Every negotiations should have a deadline and Leao’s deadline should have been December 31st of 2022. If he didn’t sign the contract offered by then Milan should have called Chelsea back and get the money Shakhtar got for Mudryk. Now will probably get half that money comes summer .
True.
Unassailable
This season is not over yet. For now there is no point for Milan but also for Leao to sign new contract, if Milan must sell him in June due to bad result this season and finishing below forth position.
For now is best for team to concentrate on result, and if Milan reach one of 4 position, there is enough time to make agreements with Leao entourage.
If in summer Milan get 100 million offer, and Leao still want clause od 85 million in his contract, than best option for both parties is to sell in this summer, because Leao will bi on low salary, and he can get good sign bonus, and Milan can get more value than from release clause.
Same thing happens to Haaland, he was sold immediately for 65 Mill when clause was activated.
So for now is best forget about Leao’s contract, because until summer there are so many games, Leao is out of form and table look so difficult for now.
If he signed now he would be carefree and would definitely return to making the difference for the rest of the season. But he won’t and he’ll continue to be a shadow of his true potential until he has signed (either with Milan or someone else).
The writing is on the wall, isn’t it?
As good as Leao is, and he is extremely good, likely to be considered one of the top 10 players in the world at some stage, there is no really good reason not to have signed by now, is there?
The money he is being offered is essentially the limit of what Milan can afford. I have wondered whether the hold out is end of year finance and the possibility that Cardinale might be prepared to pay some of that fine but I just don’t see it. Maybe it is freeing wages, but, again, I don’t see it because the squad, actually the starting 11, has pretty desperate needs. Probably 4 of them.
How much money are we going to spend on one player? He almost has to be sold, doesn’t he?
There are plenty of variations you can have on this, the individuals are not really the point, but I’d turn Leao into Scamacca, Zaniolo and Scalvini. Supposedly we’re interested in Orsolini (or something very close to that). There will be plenty of other players Maldini and co have their eye on.
The sale of Leao will result in the squad becoming much stronger.
AC Milan already try their best to make leao highest paid player in AC Milan,but leao play hardball & want to follow kessie path.If decision on me, i will sell leao for 60-80m euro and use that money to buy starter quality RWB better than calabria,saladmaker,junior & leao replacement . Sell one player and you get two player