In a recent report, Calciomercato mentioned that Manchester City are facing stiff competition for AC Milan ace Rafael Leao. It has been claimed that Pep Guardiola’s team are locked in a three-way battle with Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain in the race to acquire the services of the Portuguese winger.
Leao’s Excellent Start To This Serie A Campaign
Leao is having a productive season at San Siro as he has been responsible for performing at a high level for the Milan giants on the left flank. The ex-Sporting talent has been involved in 13 matches for his current employers during this campaign so far, scoring four goals and earning eight assists in various competitions.
The 23-year-old has been a consistent performer for the Italian outfit in the final third based on his average of 3.9 shots, 2.0 key passes and 1.7 dribbles per game in Serie A football. He has even been tidy when linking up play with others around him in the opponent’s half, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 80.1% in the top tier of Italian football (stats via whoscored).
Leao’s current deal at San Siro will run out in 2024, so Man City might have a good chance of getting a cut-price deal done for him next summer.
Is Leao A Good Fit For Manchester City Boss Pep Guardiola?
Leao can use his quickness and agility to make a few dangerous runs with the ball in behind the opponent’s backline. He has got the vision to play a few incisive passes in and around the opposition penalty box and can strike the ball with power and precision from long range. Leao mainly operates as a winger on the left flank but can also fill in as a centre-forward if needed.
The Portugal international has added a lot of goals and assists to his game over the past couple of seasons. Hence, he is well-equipped to make an instant impact at the Etihad Stadium if Man City can devise a way to get him on board at the end of this campaign.
We can expect Leao to inject more pace and goals into Pep Guardiola‘s frontline and help the Mancunian club challenge for ever more trophies in the future. The AC Milan star ticks all the right boxes in terms of what is required to be successful under Guardiola’s stewardship. Hence, he will be a good fit for Man City next year.
