Rafael Leão spent years wide on the left, then Max Allegri arrived and pushed him into a central role, turning him into a striker. He is still adjusting, and the process will take time, but his progress in recent weeks is clear. The question is what sits behind this change in a player once seen as a talent prone to laziness, now a ruthless finisher.
Max’s role is central. Corriere della Sera reports that people close to him say fatherhood has made him more responsible. Allegri pushes him every day. "Rafa needs to learn how to play as a centre forward. He already did it at Lille, then lost some of those traits. He has natural qualities. He must grow and become stronger." Leão seems to have understood that Allegri offers the step forward people have expected for years.
Leao's numbers show the impact.
In past seasons he never influenced Milan’s output like he does now. In 2022/2023 he had five league goals after 13 rounds in 889 minutes. This year he reached the same tally in 629 minutes. He is also turning into a leader and aims high. "The title? You can dream, but the road is long," he said after the win over Lazio that put Milan top of the table.
