Arsenal and Bayern Munich have been heavily linked with a move for AC Milan winger Rafael Leao this summer.
The Gunners are looking to bolster their attacking wide areas, and they have earmarked Leao as a potential option, along with other targets.
The 26-year-old teased Arsenal fans recently after he posted a picture of himself wearing a Thierry Henry tee on his personal Instagram.
Could the door open for Arsenal to sign Rafael Leao?
Rafael Leao ahead of AC Milan v Genoa
(Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images)
Leao is a key player for AC Milan, but the Serie A giants could look to offload him if the price is right. A fee in the region of £60m should be enough to secure his signature.
According to a recent report from Bild, the Bayern camp is internally divided in opinions about signing Leao.
Lothar Matthäus is a big fan of Leao. The German legend revealed to Christian Falk that the Portuguese star has even more potential than he has been allowed to show at AC Milan so far.
Leao can not only play on the wings, but also in the heart of the forward line. So, he could be a backup option for Harry Kane.
On the other hand, many Bayern decision-makers are not impressed with Leao’s mentality and his lack of defensive effort. They think he has a star-like behaviour. Also, he is not a key player for the Portuguese national team.
Keeping all these factors in mind, it appears that Bayern are most likely to pass on the opportunity to sign Leao, even though other targets are currently difficult to secure.
In that case, Arsenal have a greater chance of signing the dazzling winger. The door could be open for them to make a concrete offer and secure his signature ahead of Bayern.
Bayern are looking for options elsewhere
The transfer window has been frustrating for Bayern so far. The club desperately need to sign a top-quality left-winger, but they are running out of options.
Bayern wanted to sign Nico Williams, but it appears that the Spaniard wants to join Barcelona instead. Despite Barcelona’s financial problems, they are more likely to reach an agreement with Athletic Bilbao for Williams.
Bradley Barcola would be a dream signing for Bayern, but Paris Saint-Germain are in no mood to enter into any discussion for their star player.
Likewise, Bayern are set to suffer defeat in the race for Jamie Gittens, who is one step away from joining Chelsea. After missing out on Florian Wirtz to Liverpool, Bayern are likely to be beaten by another Premier League club in the transfer market.
Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo could be a good option, but Bayern have not made a formal approach to sign the Dutchman. Instead, they have decided to sign a new striker, and have reached verbal agreement with VfB forward Nick Woltemade.
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The Bayern Insider: Rafael Leão receives transfer seal of approval