Real Madrid dealt transfer blow over 'untouchable' Leao
Robin Bairner
- 27 May 2022 10:43 BST
- 3 min read
Real Madrid’s hopes of signing Rafael Leao from Milan have been hit by the Serie A club saying they will not consider a transfer for the Portugal international.
In the wake of Kylian Mbappe turning down a move from PSG to the Bernabeu this summer, Los Blancos have been left on the back foot and are seeking alternative offensive options having had no apparent Plan B to the France star.
The 22-year-old Leao is the player they have been most closely linked to, with reports even suggesting they could be ready to launch a bid worth in excess of €100 million for the attacker.
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Milan sporting director Paolo Maldini, though, says any attempts to buy the player will be futile.
“We see Rafael Leao as a key player and untouchable,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport. “He is not for sale. He is still a rough diamond that has undergone significant improvements from one season to the next.
“We took him off the Lille bench by playing €24m and we immediately installed a release clause of €150m because we believe in him.
“Potentially, he has always been a champion. He had to follow a path that is not yet finished. He’s extremely intelligent and needed a little help. I’ve spoken to him a lot.”
It seems, then, that if Real Madrid want Leao, they may need to pay his €150m release clause.
Milan transfer news: Origi and Botman updates
Meanwhile, Maldini offered updates on two more deals that Milan are working on, relating to players set to arrive at the club this summer.
Firstly, he confirmed that Liverpool’s Divock Origi is a player they are ready to move for.
“We are in talks with Origi and they seem to be going very well,” he said.
In the case of Lille centre-back Sven Botman, though, Maldini appeared less optimistic.
“We’re following him, but there are a lot of interesting central defenders on the transfer market,” he said.
