Leao and Milan: complications everywhere.
After the award as best player of last season at the Gran Galà del Calcio, Leao began his dialogue with Milan for the renewal of the contract. First meeting between the lawyer of the Portuguese (not Jorge Mendes) and the Rossoneri management are ready to make an important offer in the coming days. Between the possible obstacles an old sanction to pay to the Sporting and the very high demand of the Portuguese.
After the great evening at the Galà del Calcio, in which he was among the absolute protagonists, if not “the” protagonist (awarded as best player of last season), Rafael Leão began to talk to Milan for the contract renewal as his current deal expires in 2024. This was done by the lawyer of the footballer, who showed up late Tuesday afternoon together with his collaborator (but without his father, announced earlier today) at Casa Milan for a first meeting lasted about an hour to begin the dialogue towards a renewal, it is still very complicated for several reasons. First of all, the very high demands of the player, conditioned also by the interest of other great clubs such as PSG and Chelsea that have long been following the Portuguese. And secondly, because of Leao’s lack of respect for Sporting Lisbon after he was sentenced to pay the Portuguese club 16.5 million for his untimely release before moving to Lille. Money that now Leao will have to pay, and that the entourage of the Portuguese would like to recover through the next contract renewal. For these two reasons, despite the willingness of Milan to renew is clear and has also been manifested to the interested parties, the negotiation will not be easy.
According to Sky Italia, Milan would like to reach an agreement before the World Cup since, a possible tournament played at a high level by Leao, would exacerbate the difficulty of a renewal just for the interest of the big European football: Chelsea and Paris Saint Germain above all. Therefore, we will have to wait for new meetings and other developments to fully understand how the negotiation will unfold in ways that depend on the certain circumstances. Much will also depend on the will of the player. If Leao wanted to stay in the Rossoneri to continue his maturation process, the negotiation could be a little less complicated, if the attacker was fascinated by the interest of the big European clubs, everything would become more difficult.
Milan ready to make an important offer
However, AC Milan have announced that in the coming days they will present a very important offer to the player but also said explicitly that they do not want to enter the issue of compensation with Sporting. A situation that Leao will have to solve personally with his lawyers. All this took place in a serene atmosphere with the will to listen to the request on the one hand and the offer on the other. The Rossoneri club will do everything to restrain the player but will hardly close before the World Cup. The biggest obstacle concerns the demands of the player that are much higher than the current roof of Milan. However, the club could also make an exception to this rule given the importance that Leao has in the context of Milan for the present and for the future. In the background are the big clubs that are waiting for developments.
The situation and the debt with Sporting
By saying the dialogue between Milan and Leao has begun, it also has to be said that there’s difficulty in reaching an agreement, an issue above all holds sway. It must be resolved a previous situation, that of the debt with Sporting still to be paid it is a sanction of about 17 million euros that Leao will have to pay to Sporting Lisbon for terminating his contract by his side and signing for free with Lille in August 2018. Money that somewhere will have to be taken out after the sentencing of Tas Lausanne (Court of Arbitration for Sport). An issue in which Milan does not want to enter. Then there is the situation of the double power of attorney signed by the Portuguese, one with his former agent Jorge Mendes and the other with a French lawyer, one of the reasons that made the negotiation difficult, since Milan did not know exactly with whom to talk.
The request of Leao
Finally, the demand of the player, which is very high: salary about 6-7 million euros per year, practically triple his current salary, since all the top European clubs (Chelsea, the two clubs of Manchester, Real Madrid and PSG) are following him for some time. Milan might try to find the team and could also go out of its salary caps to offer Leao the best possible solution.
In general, it will take more meetings to understand how the situation will evolve.