Rafael Leao is one of the left-wingers Manchester United are heavily linked with.
INEOS are keen on signing a left-winger, with such a profile now absent at the club after they allowed Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, and Alejandro Garnacho to leave in the process of assembling Ruben Amorim’s dream team.
Left winger need
Amorim’s system did not rely on wingers; it relied on double tens, so it seemingly slipped INEOS’ mind that they had pushed all their left-wingers out the door.
Nevertheless, with a desire to correct that transfer blunder, United are eyeing some fine left-winger options, and Rafael Leao sits firmly on their radar.
The AC Milan winger has been heavily linked with a move away from the San Siro. In fact, it has been suggested that the Rossoneri are so keen on his exit that they will readily sanction his departure for as little as £43 million.
Amid the persistent Milan exit links, talk of him moving to United has gathered so much airtime that his admission: “I like United. I like United because my idol is Cristiano Ronaldo. So back then I used to watch them”, had many suggesting it was a clear come-and-get-me plea.
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With anticipation building over whether those comments would prompt INEOS to act, an interesting update has now emerged from Italy.
Earlier last week, there were some eye-catching departures at Milan after their shambolic end to the season, which saw them miss out on Champions League football. Top officials left, and head coach Massimiliano Allegri was dismissed.
Rafael Leao makes final decision over leaving Milan
The Allegri exit could now have swayed Leao’s stance on leaving Milan.
In relation to the coach’s sacking, Gazzetta dello Sport reports:
“The Portuguese remains an expendable player for the club, but much also depends on who comes after Allegri. And he has already told Ibrahimovic that he wants to stay.”
Interestingly, Leao’s reluctance to leave comes despite his struggles; looking like a player who needs a fresh start, with Milan fans having turned on him.
Final decision lies with Milan
Whether he stays, however, remains to be seen. The outlet insists that Milan’s missing out on Champions League football will force them to sell players to sort their finances, and Leao ranks among their most sellable assets.
So despite the Portugal winger wanting to stay, he may yet be forced out, a development that should ultimately work in United’s favour.
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