The Rafael Leao contract renewal saga is now over
After months of negotiations, Rafael Leao has finally signed a new contract with AC Milan. And his stay has been made official by the club, with a statement released on their website. The winger’s new deal will run until 2028, seemingly confirming his determination to carry on with the project at hand.
Several clubs were interested in trying to sign the Portugal international in case he would have left. However, he is going nowhere and will feature for Milan next season as well.
Rafael Leao contract renewal: All the details we know
The new deal is for five years, until 2028, as confirmed above. The structure of the deal will see Leao earn around €5-7 million per season in fixed wages. However, there are a number of bonuses involved in the contract and they will be payable monthly instead of at the end of the season. Which means that the final amount that he takes home could be much higher.
The bonuses could be concerning the number of goals scored, awards received or matches and titles won. The exact clauses have not been revealed as of yet.
The previous release clause in the winger’s contract was worth €150 million. It has been retained, but has now been raised to €175 million, making it more difficult for interested clubs to sign him.
Rafael Leao shirt number: Milan star to take #10
With Brahim Diaz returning to Real Madrid after his three-year loan spell with the club, Rafael Leao has decided to take the number 10 shirt from next season. The winger has worn #17 for the past few seasons, and will now wear the iconic number on his back as one of the talismanic figures for the first team.
Rafael Leao contract extension: What does this mean for Milan?
It is a huge win for the Rossoneri, having negotiated a new deal with arguably their most important player. The first team looks clearly lost without his presence on the left, as was the case in their Champions League semi final against Inter. And with his presence confirmed, they can build on the success that they have already achieved so far as part of their rebuild.
Milan are also planning to sign several new players this summer to reinforce their squad. One of them is Ruben Loftus Cheek from Chelsea, while Gianluca Scamacca is also on their list as a centre-forward option.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not expected to renew his contract any further and will be walking out as a free agent, causing the club to invest in a new striker. The likes of Yacine Adli, Ante Rebic, Sergino Dest and Brahim Diaz will all be part of the clearout, and we will see some more investment from the club in the coming weeks.
