The rivalry between the Cityzens and the Reds continues off the pitch and into the transfer market. As the transfer saga for a Sterling replacement continues at the Etihad, Manchester City have reportedly joined Liverpool in the race to sign Rafael Leao.
The Portuguese winger has proven to be key in AC Milan’s recent success, including their Seria A title victory in the previous campaign. This places him as one of the most promising talents of the young generation of football, which is why there is no shock as to why the big clubs in England are keen to sign him.
However, landing the 23 year old from Italy seems next to impossible as the AC Milan superstar wants to stay in Italy for next season. Another stumbling block in a successful transfer for Leao is his release clause which is reportedly £129m. Should any of the Premier League clubs sign the player, they will have to break Jack Grealish’ English transfer record of £100m.
Reports from Italian daily sports newspaper, La Gazzetta dello Sport, have stated that Milan are preparing a new contract offer for Rafael Leao and don’t want to sell the player for less than his €150m clause.