Every year, it's a bit of the same old story with Rafael Leão (26 years old). Under contract with AC Milan until 2028, the Portuguese international (40 caps, 5 goals) is regularly announced as leaving, but he always ends up staying. This summer, we revealed that Bayern Munich, who were in the market for a winger, were preparing a big offer for the Rossonero. For their part, Milan had prepared for these attacks and had set the starting price for their player at €85 million. In the end, Rafael Leão signed for a sixth year in Italy. This season, the Portuguese has only played three matches in all competitions (1 goal).
Although he suffered a calf injury in August, the Rossoneri number 10 is clearly not performing well after a more than decent 2024/2025 season (12 goals and 13 assists in 50 matches). According to the Gazzetta dello Sport , Massimiliano Allegri severely reprimanded the Portuguese in front of his own teammates after the 0-0 draw against Juventus. According to the daily newspaper, the new Rossoneri coach did not mention Leão by name, but all the other players would have understood who was being targeted. Rafael Leão was attacked by Allegri, who was filmed saying " don't annoy me " to his player before the latter came on.
" At his age, there is no more time to waste ."
Then, the Italian technician became annoyed when he saw his number 10 miss a point-blank opportunity before wasting a caviar from Luka Modric. Furious, Allegri made it clear to Leão that his performance in Turin was unworthy of a player claiming a starting status in his Milan . The Portuguese also received the message telling him that the Gimenez-Nkunku duo would pass him if he does not react. Faced with his responsibilities, Rafael Leão was also taken on the volley by Adrien Rabiot , in an interview given to the Gazzetta dello Sport . Allegri's privileged relay, the French midfielder clearly invited his teammate to take control of his situation.
“I know people talk a lot about him. He’s a player with great potential, but at 26, you’re not young anymore. At his age, there’s no time to waste; time flies. It would be a shame if he remained a player with untapped potential. I hope he realizes he has what it takes to compete with the best. He may not have the will or passion of a player like Modric, but Leão needs to ask himself where he wants to go, if he’s happy with what he’s achieved or if his goal is to become what he can truly be. For us, it would be a shame if he didn’t reach his full potential and focus 100% on his work. Allegri knows how to get the best out of his players. I hope he has a positive influence on him as well. Maybe this is the right opportunity for Leão.” A word to the wise.
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