Leao opens door to Milan exit as Barcelona listen to Mendes information

Not all is well at AC Milan, as new manager Paulo Fonseca struggles to get a handle on life at San Siro, as they sit eighth in Serie A. To make matters worse, he is currently in a feud with their star player Rafael Leao.

A report from Tuttosport claims that after being dropped against Napoli last week, Leao has instructed his agents to keep an eye on potential exit routrs in January, and he will weigh up his future with regard to a summer move too. They say that Sporting Director Zlatan Ibrahimovic was present at the training ground to smooth over things between the two compatriots, but that the issues are far from resolved.

This comes shortly after reports in Spain that Leao is being monitored by Barcelona. The fact that Leao is represented by superagent Jorge Mendes is an advantage for the Blaugrana, and they are keeping a close on eye on what happens in case his asking price comes down. The money that would have been required in their late effort for him last summer continues to be out of reach, so a winter move is unlikely.

All the same, it would be a major surprise if after fighting hard to keep Leao last summer, the club were willing to let him go any time soon. With Fonseca struggling, it seems more likely that that they decide to let their manager go than their prized forward in Leao. Equally, it would be non-sensical for Barcelona to break the bank for Leao with Raphinha finally coming good this season.