From yesterday’s meeting between Gerry Cardinale and several members of the press, held at the Four Seasons hotel in Milan, the Rossoneri owner’s stance regarding Rafael Leão’s profile emerged. According to Cardinale (who follows Zlatan Ibrahimović’s guidelines), the Portuguese player’s journey at Milan should be considered over. In fact, rumours have also circulated suggesting that even offers that are not astronomical (starting from €40 million) could be enough to open the door to Leão’s sale. That said, such evaluations should ideally be made with a chief executive officer, a sporting director, and a head coach “in charge”, meaning appointed and operational. Allowing this position to leak out is something of an own goal, because it is like saying a house is ugly when you are trying to sell it.
Cardinale on Leao: words not appreciated
Naturally, what emerged reached the player, who nevertheless finished the season as Milan’s top scorer in the league with nine goals despite playing out of position all year (but that is another story). And understandably, he did not appreciate those remarks, especially since an important chapter concerning the summer he will have to face is now opening for Leão, who is currently focused on the World Cup with Portugal.
Leao-Milan: the situation
Rafa still has two years left on his contract, and that is certain. If an important offer were to arrive from the Premier League or La Liga, the player would consider it, whereas at the moment he is not open to secondary destinations such as Turkey or Saudi Arabia. For what Cardinale hinted at in yesterday’s off-the-record remarks to actually materialise, two conditions are necessary: a significant offer must arrive for the player, and it must satisfy Milan regarding the transfer fee. Without both conditions being met, Leão is prepared to remain at Milan and honour his contract until the end.
Galatasaray–Fenerbahçe: enquiries and election campaign promises:
As for the interest from Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, from what we understand, there have been exploratory enquiries with those managing Leão’s interests, but nothing has gone further. Moreover, it appears that his name has been used as part of the election promises of some of the presidential candidates at Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe. But before any discussions can proceed, there will first be a need to understand who the clubs interested in Rafa will actually have to speak to. And what happens if the new manager wants to rely on him as well?
Source: Milannews.it
