€70m market value 

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Rafael Leão has been the posterboy for AC Milan across the last few years but the Portugal international’s future is firmly in the balance. I Rossoneri are a shadow of what they used to be, one of the dominant forces in European football and Leão has been unable to inspire the Italian giants back to their former glories. Leão has been perennially linked with departing the San Siro but he’s remained loyal and penned a long-term contract until 2030. Reputable reports in Italy, however, have stated that AC Milan could cash in on their prized asset this summer after growing frustrated at his conduct, following his latest outburst.

The 26-year-old became embroiled in an angry exchange with Massimiliano Allegri after being substituted in AC Milan’s 1-0 defeat to Lazio at the weekend in Serie A and pushed his manager away after rejecting a hug. It’s understood that Leão and Christian Pulisic – arguably AC’s new star – exchanged heated words in the dressing room and the Portuguese attacker’s behavior received stinging criticism from ex-Milan captain Massimo Ambrosini. “The frustration he shows when he’s substituted, he’d be better off showing when he’s on the pitch. There, he tends to give the impression that he lacks ambition.” With growing speculation over Leão’s future, we’ve analysed four potential destinations for the AC Milan star.

Four potential transfer destinations for Rafael Leão

Arsenal

Arsenal are on track for a famous season, still competing in all four competitions and their squad is already incredibly strong. There’s few areas for significant improvement but left-wing is unquestionably a weakness in their squad composition and they’ve been linked previously with Leão. Gabriel Martinelli has been linked with an exit this summer, Leandro Trossard isn’t getting any younger and Noni Madueke is better from the right. Arsenal could comfortably afford Leão’s sizable wage demands but it’ll ultimately come down to whether Mikel Arteta views him as a good fit.

Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich were strongly linked to Leão last summer before deciding to pursue a deal for Luis Diaz. The Colombian has been a revelation in the Bundesliga, so a new left-winger isn’t top of Vincent Kompany’s wishlist this summer. Interestingly though, Leão has played predominantly as a striker this season as Allegri is wedded to his preferred 3-5-2 formation. The Portugal star hasn’t exactly excelled in this role with ten goals in 24 games but it does show his versatility and he could provide an alternative with Harry Kane as Nicolas Jackson will return to Chelsea.

Barcelona

Barcelona have been heavily linked with a move for Leão in previous windows and that deal could still materialise in the summer. The Catalan giants are locked in talks with Manchester United in an attempt to try and lower the €30m buy-option in his loan agreement for Marcus Rashford. If there’s no breakthrough in those negotiations then Barca could turn their attention to Leão. He will cost more than Rashford but he’s two years younger and his wage package wouldn’t be as high as the England international. While Barcelona’s financial constraints are well-documented, they often find a way to push through deals and they shouldn’t be ruled out.

Chelsea

Chelsea have enquired about Leão in recent seasons and it’s understood that they’ve continued to monitor his performances in Italy. A move to Chelsea must be viewed as unlikely this summer for two main reasons; he doesn’t fit the age profile of their recruitment approach and they have an abundance of wingers. However, it’s almost impossible to predict what Chelsea will do in the summer and they could ship out several younger talents to bring in a statement signing in Leão.