AC Milan winger Rafael Leao has reportedly revealed which dream club he wants to join in the summer.
Leao is now in his sixth season with the Italian giants, but it has been a largely frustrating one, with the Rossoneri languishing down in eighth, not a part of one of the tightest title battles in recent years.
Paulo Fonseca's dismal reign came to an end at the end of 2024, and despite a sudden upturn under his replacement Sergio Conceicao, Leao still looks set to leave at the end of the season.
A difficult start in Serie A was briefly forgotten about due to Milan's success in the Italian Super Cup this week under the new manager.
Leao was injured for the Super Cup semi-final win over Juventus last week, but was able to come on in the final against rivals Inter Milan, and it was his assist for Tammy Abraham that led to the winner, seeing Milan come from 2-0 down to win in extraordinary circumstances.
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Leao 'reveals' his dream destination
Those types of moments are typical of Leao, who has often shown he is capable of brilliance, but just does not show it on a consistent basis.
Leao was a pivotal figure in Milan's win away to Real Madrid in the Champions League this season, but the 25-year-old has just three league goals so far.
Despite that though, interest in the player is set to be high, and Fichajes claim that out of the clubs in for Leao, Barcelona is his preferred destination.
However, the report also states that wide attackers is not a top priority for the club, and if they were to enter the market, Nico Williams and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are also main targets.
Leao is contracted at San Siro until 2028, but is set to snub interest from Manchester United and Chelsea, despite the possibility of a more handsome paycheck, in order to seek a move to Barca.
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Where would Leao fit in at Barca?
Some stumbling blocks to Leao getting his dream move could get in the way though, such as Barcelona's perilous finances, and the amount of competition in the squad.
Barcelona already have Raphinha and Lamine Yamal in wide areas, with Ferran Torres playing backup, so it is unclear where Leao could fit in, especially if none of those players leave the club.
The mess surrounding the club's finances were illustrated by the recent Dani Olmo fiasco, with the club facing a battle to keep him registered for the second half of the season.
That is unlikely to stop Barca from attempting to strengthen their squad during the summer though, and in a stronger team, Leao could flourish, like he did when Milan won the Scudetto in 2021-22 alongside the Serie A MVP award that season, and despite not hitting the same levels since, the Portuguese international remain high on the radar of many clubs.
Andrew Delaney
