According to O Jogo, as we mentioned earlier today, Saudi club Al-Hilal are ready to put a very big offer on the table for Rafael Leao and Milan.
Next summer, Al-Hilal will be engaged in the new Club World Cup, and the Saudi club intends to assemble a team capable of competing for the title. With Neymar's injury at the beginning of the season and the uncertainty surrounding the Brazilian's future in Saudi Arabia, the team is seeking a new star and is reportedly willing to go all out for Rafael Leao.
According to Milan News, however, the Saudi club has no intention of paying Milan the 175 million euros release clause currently. But, they are still determined to make an "irresistible" offer in triple digits.
At the same time, the player will be offered a very high salary, although O Jogo does not provide any insights into the figures of what could be the Saudi club's offer to the player. According to reports, Al-Hilal intends to carry out an "unprecedented" operation by bringing a European football champion in the prime of his years to the Arabian league.
According to O Jogo's insider information, a prominent figure in the negotiations will be Antonio Leao, Rafa's father, who would take the reins of the operations with his son's consent.
It's reported that discussions could intensify as early as the coming days, possibly leading to negotiations taking off by the end of this week. Besides the Milan player's father, there's another important figure involved: Mario Rui, a Portuguese intermediary who has connections with the Saudi royal family and has also been involved in the transfers of Neymar and Otavio to Al-Hilal.
Amidst all this, it's also worth considering that the coach of the Saudi club is Jorge Jesus, not only Portuguese but also Rafa Leao's first coach at Sporting. This could be an additional reason for Leao to be convinced by Al-Hilal's proposal, should it materialize.
Source: Milan News