Rafael Leao is in his fifth season at AC Milan and although there has been speculation about a future elsewhere, it does not seem to be in the plans of the winger.
According to a report on the Sky website, there is a period of change coming up for Milan who will have to choose a new head coach and make some summer signings that raise the level of the squad to close the gap that has opened up with Inter.
The management are also reflecting on the future of the current best players, among which Leao obviously stands out. However, the Portuguese – who grew as a man and as a player at Milan – does not want to leave the club.
Unless huge offers are made, he will be the cornerstone of the new team that will be born after the summer and will continue to lead the club into what they hope will be a successful post-Pioli era.
Since the summer of 2019 when he arrived from Lille, Leao has been at home at Milan. Having arrived at just 20 years old he has become a complete player and he knows that his is the truly decisive player in the attacking group.
A year ago he renewed his contract with Milan, becoming the highest paid player in the team at €7m net per season including bonuses, resolving the dispute involving his former club Lille and Sporting CP in the process.
Despite the bad performances against Roma and Inter, Leao is very much a central part of Milan’s future, barring colossal offers from abroad that have never arrived. The message is clear: he doesn’t want to leave, and the club don’t want to sell him.
From next season he will be forced to do defensive work, pressing in modern football is part of attacking