Manchester City have been in contact with the entourage of AC Milan winger Rafael Leao over the possibility of a deal in January.
According to DAZN, Manchester City are ready to offer Rafael Leao a lucrative contract worth €12 million per year to bring him to the Etihad. The Citizens are also prepared to place a bid worth €120 million to AC Milan. The Portuguese international is also a target for Real Madrid and Chelsea.
Rafael Leao will enter the penultimate year of his contract in the summer transfer window. And his contract situation has captured the attention of Real Madrid. But the 23-year-old is also a top target for Manchester United.
Manchester City brought in Erling Haaland to put an beef up the offensive unit. And the Norwegian striker has taken very little time to announce his arrival. The Citizens are also well stacked in the wide-attacking department, with the likes of Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez chipping in with useful contributions.
But there have been concerns regarding the long-term futures of Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish. Grealish could be termed as a severe flop, as he is yet to hit the form since his big-money move from Aston Villa. And recent reports have claimed that Manchester City might sell the Englishman to raise funds to sign Jude Bellingham.
With Grealish unable to provide the desired impact, Manchester City could be open to selling him. So the Premier League champions could definitely use a more lethal option on the left. And Leao, who has already has marked his presence felt with goals after goals in Serie A, has emerged as a viable target.
11 goal contributions in 14 league matches speak volumes about his talent. In addition, Leao was also on target a couple of times at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Milan have offered fresh new terms worth €7 million per year. But Manchester City’s offer of a €12 million salary could be a deal-breaker. In addition, the Citizens are ready to submit a bid worth €120 million to AC Milan.
Leao has hinted that he will be open to a move to a new league in future, and that could encourage Guardiola to step up their efforts when the transfer window reopens next month. Real Madrid are also monitoring Leao’s progress as the Spanish giants are searching for a suitable replacement for Eden Hazard, who has not been at his best since his transfer from Chelsea.
AC Milan can be lured by the €120 million bid. But their priority has been to extend his stay beyond 2024, as the Portuguese winger has played a vital role in their recent revival. It will be interesting to see if Manchester City can beat Real Madrid to his signature.
