In a recent tweet, Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg stated that Manchester City are among clubs hoping to land AC Milan star Rafael Leao. It has been mentioned that Man City will have to rival Chelsea and Real Madrid in pursuit of the Portuguese talent who is valued at €150m.
Excl. News #Leao: At this stage he doesn’t want to extend beyond 2024. Not confident with the offer. Chelsea, City, Real in. #CFC held talks about him in Qatar. Milan refused Chelseas offer (€70m). They want €150m. The amount of the release clause. @Sky_Marc @SkySportDE 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/QuUxLawSuB
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) December 12, 2022
Leao’s Impressive Run Of Form In Italian Football
Leao is having a great campaign at San Siro after he put in a run of impressive displays for the Milan giants recently. The Portugal international has made 31 appearances for both his club and country this season, netting nine goals and picking up ten assists in all competitions.
The 23-year-old has been a reliable performer in the final third based on his average of 3.6 shots, 1.6 key passes and 1.7 dribbles per 90 minutes in Serie A football. He has even been accurate when distributing the ball in the opponent’s half, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 79.4% in the top tier of Italian football (stats via whoscored).
Leao’s current contract at San Siro is set to expire in the summer of 2024. Hence, Man City will fancy their chances of landing him on the cheap at the end of this campaign.
Is Leao A Dream Option For Manchester City Boss Pep Guardiola?
Leao is an excellent dribbler with the ball and can make some dangerous runs down the left flank. He can engineer some decent chances for his teammates on the attacking end of the field and can strike the ball with venom and accuracy from long range. The Portuguese talent has contributed by scoring and creating his fair share of goals from the left wing. However, he is also versatile enough to fill in as a centre-forward if needed.
Someone of Leao’s quality and skillset will no doubt add even more quality to Pep Guardiola‘s attack. He could serve as an upgrade over Jack Grealish who has struggled to prove his worth during his time at Man City thus far.
With all things considered, the Mancunian giants should consider moving in for Leao as he will be a dream option for them to pursue next summer. The Portugal international has what it takes to help bring even more success to the Etihad Stadium in the coming seasons. However, only time will tell whether Leao can find a way to cope with the physical side and high intensity of Premier League football.
