Disappointing season for the Portuguese, penalized by physical and tactical problems. Now San Siro boos him and Milan can put him on the market hoping to monetize him better than seems possible today.
The deluge of boos that accompanied his exit from the pitch in the 77th minute of a disappointing performance against Udinese marks the point of no return in the history of the relationship between Rafael Leao and Milan. Total rejection by the demanding San Siro crowd who no longer forgive the Portuguese for anything: not his attitude on the pitch, which seems listless even on the best days but is unbearable especially on the worst onesnor the tactical misunderstanding that it carries with it and that only Pioli managed to resolve in the magical spring of 2022.
Leao is certainly the most talented player (Modric aside) in the Rossoneri squad. But it is also a kind of intermittent light that retains a fair amount of dark spots. He loves to play wide, but covers little, exposing the defensive phase to constant trouble. If he is moved more in the middle or closer to the goal he retains the usual numbers in terms of goals, but loses the assists which have always been his added value. Neither meat nor fish.
Leao and the contract that expires in 2028: sell him now?
Added to this is the expiry of his contract which is starting to get dangerously close: 30 June 2028. A pattern already experienced by the Milan world until the beginning of summer 2023, when the tiring negotiation to avoid the risk of losing the Portuguese on a free transfer 24 months later. A very tough discussion which also cost the via Aldo Rossi club the advance payment of the fine that Leao had to pay to Sporting Lisbon: 20 million euros taken out by eliminating a clause on the percentage to be recognized in the event of a future transfer.
Leao earns a lot: 5 million euros net plus bonuses. He is the highest paid player in the squad but he doesn’t make the difference. On the contrary. A combination that led the management to freeze any hypothesis of further renewal until 2030 tying the striker (born in 1999) to the AC Milan shirt for almost his entire career.
The direction the season is taking does the rest. The Portuguese is disappointing, it’s not entirely his fault but it’s a fact. And the audience at San Siro put him in their sights, a condition often incompatible with permanence as told by the story of the descending parables of the champions or presumed champions who wore the shirts of Inter and Milan. If San Siro whistles like a gallery at La Scala, the tenor leaves.
Leao’s season in numbers
Leao has solid alibis to present to the court that is rejecting him. THEmeanwhile the similar groin pain that has been dragging on since November and which affects him quite a bit on the pitch: he doesn’t sprint, he has no inspiration, he has to give up what is his best characteristic that is, challenging your opponents with speed in an open field. A limit imposed not only by the injury but also by the role that Allegri designed for him, putting Milan with a five-man defense to better protect the wingers: adapted as first striker the Portuguese has shown that he doesn’t have the right skills.
When there are a handful of games left until the end of the season, the numbers confirm it. He scored 10 goals and provided 2 assists, an acceptable balance of goals but in decline as a provider of great occasions. Just take a look at the history of Milan to realize this: excluding the first year of “launch”, Leao finished in 2021 at 13 (7+6), in 2022 the comeback championship at 26 (14+12) and then with the record of 31 (16+15) in 2023 and at 29 (15+14) in 2024 and 25 (12+13) in the troubled year of Fonseca and Conceiçao.
Leao on the market: how much it costs
How much does Leao cost on the international market? Forgetting the termination clause set at the time of signing the contract extension until 2028: the 175 million euros that were supposed to protect Milan from the explosion of Portuguese talent are no longer current. There are no approaches to that figure and, at this moment, there are not even any major European clubs interested in Leao because the terrible season, and away from the Champions League stage, has certainly penalized his appeal.
Indicatively, in via Aldo Rossi they could toast if they tore up half of that clause: 80-85 million euros. On the balance sheet, the weight of Leao’s price tag will be very low in June, around 6-8 million, which means that it would be a huge capital gain to be counted in full. To have it. Because the risk is that the price could be even lower, unless the very rich Saudi Arabian market is set in motion. And what would Milan do when faced with a check of no more than €50? Everyone’s interest is that Leao ends the season with the Rossoneri in a dignified manner and has a good World Cup. It could be the perfect exit strategy.
