Arsenal are about to see a direct rival in Liverpool make an expensive addition, and the Gunners could be next.
Liverpool look set to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth over £100m, sending an emphatic message to Arsenal after beating the north Londoners to the Premier League title.
However, Arsenal could soon respond with a club-record move of their own amid rumours involving Rafael Leao.
Rafael Leao dropped by AC Milan and makes interesting social media decision after talks with Arsenal
Foot Mercato claimed on Saturday that Andrea Berta – Director of Football at Arsenal – spoke to the AC Milan No.10 on the phone to tell him Arsenal are definitely interested in acquiring his services this summer.
After that chat, Leao, who Chelsea also like, has now interestingly opted to remove the mention of AC Milan from his social media bio, after also being left on the bench for the 2-0 win over Monza on Saturday, the final match in Serie A this season.
Rafael Leão's goal vs Verona, from the first touch to the last touch, in full: pic.twitter.com/gnBAVVTgn0
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) June 16, 2023
The Portugal international was also benched for the 3-1 defeat against Roma after starting the Coppa Italia final, which AC Milan lost 1-0 to Bologna, suggesting there has been a fallout of sorts at the San Siro.
Foot Mercato add that Leao – who Declan Rice knows well – and AC Milan are “considering a split” after a mixed end to the 2024/25 campaign, in which he has scored 12 goals and provided 13 assists in 50 appearances.
A move for the 25-year-old may not come cheap for Arsenal, as his contract with AC Milan includes a release clause worth €175m (£147m).
What Mikel Arteta has planned if Rafael Leao deal materialises
All good managers should have some idea of where a transfer target fits into their team, and Mikel Arteta does have a plan for Leao if a deal happens.
🔙 @RafaeLeao7 torna al gol in campionato e lo fa ALLA LEAO! 😍#MilanAtalanta pic.twitter.com/N4e5MqfFDw
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA) February 26, 2024
Give Me Sport believe the Spaniard views the man born in Almada as an upgrade on Gabriel Martinelli down the left flank, so the idea seems to be for the AC Milan star to play on the opposite side to Bukayo Saka if an agreement can be found.
Leao has played the entire season in that position for AC Milan, so the plan makes sense, although he has also made 70 appearances as a striker throughout his career, so the Portuguese sensation could even be deployed centrally by Arteta.