The noise around Rafael Leao and the San Siro exit door has reached a dull roar, and the Portuguese winger himself has just turned up the volume. With...
The noise around Rafael Leao and the San Siro exit door has reached a dull roar, and the Portuguese winger himself has just turned up the volume. With Milan's failure to secure Champions League football for next season, the club's prized asset is now openly flirting with the Premier League, and he has done so by naming not one but two English clubs as his favoured destinations. It is the kind of admission that sets alarm bells ringing in the corridors of power at Casa Milan.According to information gathered by GoalZaza, Leao has let slip which two Premier League sides hold his affections. While the specifics of his preferences remain a carefully guarded secret in the transfer market, the mere fact that he has spoken publicly about his admiration for English football suggests that his representatives are already testing the waters. For a player of his explosive pace and direct running in transitional play, the Premier League has always seemed a natural next step.The situation at Milan is a complex one. The club's financial constraints are no secret, and their inability to build on last season's scudetto triumph has left a squad that feels, in the words of the terrace, a bit flat. Leao's contract situation is the elephant in the room, and without a new deal, the Rossoneri face the grim prospect of either selling this summer or watching his value plummet. They bottled it in the Champions League places, and now they are paying the price.Is this just standard pre summer posturing from an agent looking to leverage a better contract Or is it the beginning of the end for Leao at Milanello The forward's ability to drift past defenders with that languid gait of his is a rare gift, but his end product has often been questioned. Clinical finishing has not always been his calling card, yet the potential he possesses is undeniable. A move to a club with more tactical flexibility and a deeper squad could be the making of him.For now, the rumour mill turns furiously. But when a player of Leao's calibre starts naming his favourite clubs, you can be certain that the wheels are already in motion. The beautiful game is rarely kind to those who hesitate, and both Leao and Milan now face a defining summer. The pitch is set for a transfer saga that will run and run.
