Milan is clearly aware of Barcelona’s desire to sign Rafael Leão this summer and wants to exploit this opportunity to bolster its squad in the best possible way, based on the opinion of coach Massimiliano Allegri.
Mundo Deportivo revealed that Allegri is hoping for a strong reinforcement for the central defense, specifically choosing Barcelona star Ronald Araujo as his ideal option.
Milan’s management sees this as an opportunity for all parties to benefit. Barcelona wants Leão but doesn’t have the funds to finance the deal, while the Italian club wants Araujo. This has sparked negotiations for what would be one of the biggest swap deals of the summer transfer window.
Araujo is not having the best of times at Barcelona, having been blamed for their Champions League semi-final exit due to his mistakes against Inter. Reports have since emerged that he is considering leaving in response to the widespread public criticism of him over the past two months.
At the same time, Leao wants a new experience and is seeking by all means to leave Milan. Therefore, the joint management of the two players is the reason for the departure, and the current need is for the two clubs to agree on a swap deal.
Italian media previously reported that Milan was willing to sell Leao for €70 million, while Araujo has a release clause of only €65 million in the first two weeks of July.
However, Luis Diaz remains Barcelona’s primary target for the left wing position, which temporarily hinders a swap deal, especially since Barça is also in advanced negotiations with another star, Neco Williams. Therefore, the Catalans have not yet decided on their desire to sign Leao.
