Rafael Leao spent the entirety of the game against Monza on the bench, and it is not unlikely that it was his final match for AC Milan.
As Calciomercato.com write, Leao could not have imagined a worse end to the season. He sat in the dugout, waiting for a call from Sergio Conceicao’s assistant Joao Costa that never came, as the fans protested in a toxic environment.
He started several games in the second half of the season from the bench, and the fact he was an unused substitute last night is an unmistakable sign of how the relationship with Conceiçao has been rather cold.
Despite the initial proclamations with an endorsement, it ended with ‘a sort of betrayal’ by the former Porto coach. Given the climate of uncertainty, the Rossoneri fans fear that the time has come to say goodbye to the one who can be considered the best player in the squad.
What Leao’s future holds
Speaking to DAZN before the game, the CEO Giorgio Furlani reiterated that the club do not need to sacrifice anyone on the market for budgetary reasons. The obvious idea would also be to build next season’s team around Leao, given he has a €175m clause and three years on his deal.
The Portuguese winger is not unsellable, but he is certainly still in the plans unlike his friend Theo Hernandez. Furthermore, RedBird Capital elected him as the symbol and frontman of Milan in the summer of 2023 when they renewed him until 2028, giving him €7m net per year including bonuses.
The shadow of Jorge Mendes is always present. The Portuguese super agent is in close contact with his father Antonio to try get a move for Leao in the summer, as per the report, and 10 days ago he spoke with the new Arsenal director Andrea Berta.
At present the Gunners consider Leao one of the alternatives and not the main objective for the left lane but things can change. Bayern Munich have been mentioned in recent days, while Saudi Arabia and Chelsea should be taken into consideration.
Milan will try to keep Leao but it will not be easy, especially with how he must feel after having watched the entirety of the Monza game from the sidelines.
