From superstar to reserve: uncertain future for Rafael Leao

The tug-of-war between the club and the player’s entourage continues

In the midst of the deepest crisis of Pioli’s management (the Rossoneri team is in free fall, even sixth in the standings), the Milanese management also has its hands full unraveling the thorny issue related to Rafael Leao’s contract renewal.

Despite the fact that Chelsea’s pressing has, at least for now, faded (complicit in the multimillion-dollar signings completed in January), the stomach aches of the player and his entourage remain. Indeed, perhaps it would be better to say that one of the problems, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport in its edition today, lies precisely in the existence of a series of cross vetoes between Ted Dimvula, lawyer and representative of the Lusitanian footballer, and Leao’s family, which is pushing him toward a power of attorney to be signed with Jorge Mendes, former agent of, among others, a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.

And so, between demands for wages considered too high by Maldini and Massara, and the request for a halving of the clause that is not even being considered, the question of the penalty to be paid to Sporting also comes into play. On which the player would like substantial ‘help’, already denied in the negotiation phase, from Milan. In the meantime Leao, perhaps distracted by all this, has already collected two consecutive benches, not even making an impact as a substitute. Certainly not an extraordinary calling card to obtain, from the Rossoneri club, an acceptance of his onerous renewal requests.