Competing With Newcastle, PSG Has More Opportunity To Get Rafael Leao

AC Milan winger Rafael Leao is targeted by Paris Saint-Germain. (X/@acmilan)

JAKATA - Paris Saint-Germain must move quickly to recruit AC Milan forward, Rafael Leao. You see, Newcastle United showed interest in bringing the Portugal national team player.

PSG is preparing to lose Kylian Mbappe. A number of names were also targeted by PSG, ranging from Napoli strikers Victor Osimhen and Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford.

Finally, PSG is aiming for Leao. The Milan winger, who can also occupy the position of attacking midfielder or striker, is considered the most appropriate to replace Mbappe. In fact, he was compared with Mbappe so often called his 'Mbappe Portugal'.

Coach Tiago Fernandes who handled him in the Sporting junior team said that in certain matters, Leao was still better than Cristiano Ronaldo.

Leao memang memenuhi syarat PSG. Apalagi, klub Ligue 1 ini seperti kesulitan mendapatkan Rashford.

Although the player's relationship with Manager Erik ten Hag had heated up, MU did not seem to be releasing Rashford.

Sources at ESPN say it is easier for PSG to bring in Leao. Moreover, Milan is quite open to releasing their players. The relationship between the two clubs was quite harmonious because previously Milan also sold goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to PSG.

Milan actually set Leao's release clause at 175 million euros. However, the Rossoneri did not mind lowering the price to 120 million euros for the purchase of the player with the number 10 jersey.

PSG itself has no shortage of forwards if Mbappe leaves. The front sector of Les Parisien has a fairly abundant stock with Ousmane Dembele, Marco Asensio, and South Korean star Lee Kang-in.

In addition, Luis Enrique's manager can maximize players aged 21, Bradley Barcola, which is growing.

However, PSG still wants a star-labeled player and Leao to meet that expectations. The 24-year-old player who Milan brought in from Lille in 2019 showed him to be one of the mainstay players up front.

He has scored 49 goals and made 44 assists during 190 appearances in various competitions.

When Milan won the Scudetto in 2022, one of the best wingers in the world contributed 11 goals and 10 assists from 34 Serie A matches. Leao's contribution led the Rossoneri to the league title making him the Player of the Year.

Leao also showed consistency. Last season when Milan finished fourth in the league and reached the semifinals of the Champions League, he scored 16 goals and 15 assists from 48 appearances.

This season, he has scored six goals and eight assists during Milan's 26 matches in various competitions.

PSG is indeed interested in signing Leao. Moreover, according to Foot Mercato, the player has signaled that he has reached the 'end of the cycle' in Milan. This opens up opportunities to smooth out Leao's steps.

The problem is, PSG is competing with Newcastle who is also hunting for Leao. However, Newcastle is having problems with financial rules so they can't buy players arbitrarily. This situation gives PSG the advantage to buy Leao.