Milan wish to come to terms with Rafael Leao before it becomes a real issue. However, the agreement on his new salary is the least of the complications in the challenging extension talks.
As per La Gazzetta dello Sport, the camp of the star wants €7M per year, while the Rossoneri can offer up to €6M. Even though the club is pushing its boundaries on salaries, the gap isn’t wide. The biggest hindrances lie elsewhere.
The attacker has two agents, Jorge Mendes and an unnamed French lawyer, who are at odds. The latter even formally cautioned the rival from dealing on his client’s behalf. That’s tricky for the Serie A champions, which want to maintain a good relationship with the powerful transfer market broker. They have no alternatives but to wait until the situation is sorted.
In addition, Leao has to pay €19M to Sporting CP, and he wants Milan to take care of it in one swoop. He’s currently covering it through small monthly installments. The Rossoneri tried to intercede and even struck a deal with the Portuguese club on a €14M settlement, which would have been paid by the forward and Lille. However, the interested parties rejected it as they still thought they could win in court.
The future of the ace will be a hot-button topic in January. On top of Chelsea, Manchester City are also snooping around. While the Scudetto winners want to keep him, a €120M offer might change their minds given the messy situation.
Our Take on Leao and Milan
While it would be better to nip it in the bud as quickly as possible, the contract expires in 2024 and he’s worth the wait and every penny necessary to untangle the web. A departure in January would be genuinely shocking.
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