AC Milan hope Rafael Leao will sign a new contract to put off Premier League suitors
Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City are all keen on the Portuguese winger
AC Milan are looking to extend Rafael Leao’s stay at the San Siro with the offer of a new long-term contract.
According to Football Italia, Milan are confident of getting the Portuguese winger to commit his future to the club despite interest from top Premier League sides.
Leao shone in last season’s title win, terrorising opposition defences and scoring 11 goals to win the award for Most Valuable Player in Serie A.
He has carried on in similarly impressive form over recent months, prompting speculation that he is set for a lucrative move away from Milan.
Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City are all rumoured to be interested in Leao, who is valued at around £80million.
The 23-year-old is under contract until the summer of 2024 but Milan understandably want to ensure he’s tied down beyond that.
He arrived at the club in August 2019 after a single season at Lille, where they finished second in Ligue Un behind a dominant Paris Saint-Germain.
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Leao has blossomed with increased maturity and greater responsibility under the management of Stefano Pioli, becoming one of the most exciting attackers in world football.
His direct and explosive style of play, whether operating out wide or through the middle, has drawn comparison to the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Thierry Henry.
Milan are looking to reward Leao for his progress and fend off interest from other clubs but their contract offers have so far fallen short of his expectations.
The Rossoneri will hope to reach a compromise with their star player over his demands when discussions continue after the World Cup.
Leao has made a couple of cameo appearances for Portugal at the tournament, scoring his first international goal in the 3-2 win over Ghana.
They are top of Group H and already assured of a place in the knockout rounds heading into this afternoon’s game against South Korea.
Sean Cole is a freelance journalist. He has written for FourFourTwo, BBC Sport and When Saturday Comes among others. A Birmingham City supporter and staunch Nikola Zigic advocate, he once scored a hat-trick at St. Andrew’s (in a half-time game). He also has far too many football shirts and spends far too much time reading the Wikipedia pages of obscure players.