AC Milan star Rafael Leão has ignited a heated dispute between Barcelona president Joan Laporta and several members of the Catalan club’s sporting management.
Barça are known to be looking for a new striker and are open to signing a winger if they don’t exercise their option to buy Marcus Rashford. Recently, Leão’s name has emerged as a potential option for sporting director Deco.
Milan Sets Price for Leão
According to journalist Matteo Moretto, AC Milan are seeking a fee of around €50 million for Leão this summer.
Disagreements between the Portuguese player and Milan officials have intensified recently, and he has repeatedly voiced his dissatisfaction with several decisions made by coach Massimiliano Allegri.
With his contract running until the summer of 2028, the Rossoneri management feel that next summer presents an ideal opportunity to sell Leão and generate funds to help rebuild a team capable of competing for the Serie A title once again.
There has been a decline in the 26-year-old’s performance this season, as he has only scored 10 goals and provided 3 assists in 27 matches. This has also led to a decrease in his price, after Milan had hoped to earn €70 million or more from his sale.
Barcelona’s new tactic to secure Bastoni for the lowest possible price!
Leão flirts with Barcelona
Leão has sent a clear message to Barcelona that he dreams of wearing the Catalan jersey, or so the Spanish press has interpreted it in recent days.
On his Instagram account, the Portuguese star shared a picture of the legendary Ronaldinho during a Clásico match against Real Madrid. The image is taken from the Brazilian star’s documentary, which premiered on Netflix on Thursday, and he captioned it: “The best.”
This gesture was interpreted as a signal to Barcelona, who had previously expressed interest in signing him two years ago, that now is the ideal time to make a move, and that he is very keen on wearing the blue and red jersey and is prepared to make the financial sacrifices necessary to make it happen.
Rashford agrees to return to Manchester United
Barcelona wants Leão, but the sporting management refuses
According to the same journalist, Barcelona president Joan Laporta is the most enthusiastic about finalizing the deal to sign Leão. Given that it is only €50 million, it seems more than ideal for the club and aligns with the economic situation at Camp Nou.
However, surprisingly, many members of Barcelona’s sporting management oppose this, doubting that Leão is worth the money, especially since his behavior over the last two seasons has raised many questions.
The technical committees are currently focused on signing a new striker, allocating all available financial resources to acquire Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez. Only after securing his signature can they discuss a replacement for Rashford, or whether the Englishman himself will remain at Camp Nou.
This difference of opinion between the two clubs will likely persist, and Hansi Flick may ultimately decide whether to approve the signing of Leão or pursue a player with different characteristics to bolster the left wing position.
