Rafael Leao’s time at AC Milan could well be coming to an end as the management are willing to listen to offers in the summer.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) write, San Siro has called time on his romance with Leao, who was booed loudly on Saturday against Udinese when he came off. Massimiliano Allegri, Adrien Rabiot and the club are trying to defend him for now, because he could be crucial for the season finale.
They will pamper the Portuguese at least until the end of the season, when they will likely part ways. First, Champions League qualification must be secured, and that can only be done with everyone on board.
End credits?
Despite being very active on social media and even recently using it to spread his messages, Leao remained silent yesterday. Those who know him assure him that he didn’t expect to be so heavily booed by his own fans, not only when he was substituted, but also beforehand.
He was disappointed because not even last season, the season of so many mistakes, so many ups and downs in performance and being benched under Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceicao had he ever heard ‘his’ fans so critical of him.
It hurt him that the jeers came in the final stages of a season in which he took to the field gritted his teeth due to groin pain and was used in a role, that of centre-forward, that he doesn’t feel is natural to him. It’s as if, in his opinion, the fans didn’t understand the effort he’s made for the team.
Of course, Rafa also knows full well that he missed two chances against Udinese that could have changed the course of the match, and that he’s scored a few fewer goals this season than he could have. However, the boos hurt him.
Waiting for the summer
From today, the Portuguese will have to try to restart. Almost 45 days have passed since his last goal against Cremonese. On Sunday in Verona, with Como fifth and five points behind, Milan can no longer afford to slip up and need the three points to avoid finishing outside the top four.
It remains to be seen whether Allegri will start him or bench him like he did in Naples. This is a significant detail that will become clearer in the coming days. At the end of the season, it will be time to take stock.
la gazzetta dello sport 13 april
If they qualify for the Champions League, Milan will acquire a striker with goals in his DNA, and at that point Allegri is unlikely to envision a 4-3-3 with the new arrival plus Christian Pulisic and Leao. This is also because the Portuguese doesn’t like tracking back and defending.
If a suitable offer arrives, Rafa will be sold. More so than the talk of Barcelona, Milan are looking at Manchester United, who have been interested in him in the past. The World Cup showcase could help, but Leao won’t leave for a low cost.
He wants a team as prestigious as Milan. Not a move to Saudi Arabia, where his friend Theo Hernandez would welcome him with open arms. There are many pieces of the puzzle to put in place, but the path to his departure is clear.
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