The Portuguese is ready to sign for 7 million euros per season, verbal agreement between the parties. And the ok from Lisbon should arrive within days
Rafael Leão said yes. He is ready to join Milan for another five years and the agreement with Sporting Lisbon is also much closer: we are now at the last corner.
On Thursday, in a night meeting, there was a draft of a handshake with the Portuguese club, but the negotiation was then reopened and the wait for white smoke vanished. Everything, then, postponed to next week, with the well-founded hope of reaching a total agreement in the next 7 days: the works for the renewal of the Portuguese star have never been so advanced. So much so that the Rossoneri managers have drawn up the new contract for Rafael in detail, knowing full well that the actual signing will only be made when the knot with Sporting is also resolved. In short, the countdown is in its final stages, while taking into account the unexpected, frequent and always possible in this story.
The contacts
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In via Aldo Rossi the temperature has risen for some time now, also thanks to the availability shown by the player and his family. Week after week, in fact, the attacker’s advisers ended up in the shadows, starting with the French lawyer Ted Dimvula, holder of the official prosecutor’s office, but in fact delegitimized by his father Antonio. Even Jorge Mendes had to give way in some moments of the negotiation, despite the flattery from both Chelsea and Real Madrid from Portugal. Instead, Rafa has chosen to look ahead and continue the positive dialogue with the Rossoneri managers. In this very delicate phase, the technical director Paolo Maldini and the sporting director Ricky Massara had the managing director Giorgio Furlani at their side, very determined to close the case in a positive way.
After all, Lille also played a decisive role in this affair, called together with the player to compensate Sporting for that escape in 2018. A tug of war in court, with various sentences that established the amount of compensation: 16, 5 million euros plus interest and legal fees for a total of 22 million. In recent times, however, from Lisbon they have raised the bar, asking for total compensation of 45 million: that is to say the clause agreed with Leao at the time. And it was precisely in these situations that the Portuguese lawyers focused on this aspect to put the Lille-Leao-Milan axis in difficulty. As always in these events, however, the parties are discussing on the wire to find an honorable solution for all. In spite of the recent setbacks, there is optimism on the Rossoneri front. The feeling is that this nightmare can be driven away as soon as possible.
But let’s get to the main turning point. In these hours, the dialogue with the Leão family has led to the much sought-after agreement. Milan made their last effort by satisfying Rafael: to sign for five years he will have a salary of 7 million net plus bonuses and 2 million for signing. The income statement is easily done, even if the collateral aspects of the new bond must then be indicated. Work is in full swing in these hours, even if the bridge on May 1st could postpone the expected announcement.
It should always be remembered that the current bond expires in June 2024 and provides for a salary of 1.5 million net per season plus bonuses. The player makes use of the benefits of the Growth Decree, therefore paying less than half of the taxes, and Milan will also take advantage of this legislation for the extension. This means that gross of the new salary will weigh just over 9 million per season. Spreading the investment over a five-year basis, we arrive at a sum much lower than 50 million, for a talent who at the moment has peaks of performance as a player of the absolute level, as demonstrated in the two matches played in Naples in the league and in the Champions League.
With this move, Milan is sending an important message for the future. After the renewals with Tomori, Kalulu, Theo Hernandez, Tonali, Bennacer, Giroud and Krunic, here is the loyalty pact with the star of the first magnitude of the group. And it is a clear trend reversal compared to the recent past marked by the farewells of Gigio Donnarumma, Hakan Calhanoglu and Franck Kessie. Also for this reason, the Rossoneri top management work hard and do not comment on these hot days for the signing of Leao. The certainty is that, with microphones off, more than something is happening. And, if it is true that Rafa is making a difference on the pitch, the most significant change is the determination with which he is dribbling away from temptations to shake hands with Milan.
April 29, 2023 (change April 29, 2023 | 00:30)
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