Rafael Leão is one step closer to extending his contract with Milan following a breakthrough in negotiations. The Portugal international’s current deal expires in 2024 and, with such, other major European clubs had begun to circle the young forward.
A stumbling block in contract talks was Leão’s €16.5m owed to Sporting Lisbon for his unilateral breach of contract upon signing for Lille in 2018.
With Milan prepared to increase the Serie A Footballer of the Year’s salary from €1.5m to €7-7.5m, Leão sought financial help from the club in paying off his debt to Sporting, as previously detailed by Foot Italia via Gianluca Di Marzio.
La Gazzetta dello Sport have reported that this problem no longer exists, with Leão and Lille ready to accept responsibility for the 2018 contract termination.
Consequently, Leão is close to resigning with Milan, but agent fees and the release clause are issues that still need to be ironed out. Jorge Mendes oversees negotiations whilst French lawyer Ted Dimvula acts as Leão’s official agent, with Rafael’s father, Antonio, also playing a role. The player’s representatives are seeking a decrease from the current €150m release clause; Milan insist on keeping it or removing the clause altogether.
