Manchester City are big admirers of AC Milan attacker Rafael Leao, according to reports.
The winger is attracting interest after scoring three times and providing six assists in eight games following his 14-goal haul that led his side to the Serie A title last season. The 23-year-old could be named in the Portugal World Cup squad and has been called up for this week’s internationals.
Chelsea have also been linked with a potential move for Leao, who has two-and-a-half years left on his deal. His stock has risen since his 2019 trasfer from Lille, being named Serie A player of the year during last season’s Scudetto triumph.
It seems City made note of this and are said to be keen on the forward, according to Calcio Mercato. This comes after Jack Grealish was criticised for a poor outing in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
The £100m man was taken off after an hour after a muted outing before bouncing back with a goal within the first 60 seconds in the 3-0 win over Wolves at the weekend. However, a report from Football Insider claims the 27-year-old has told friends he doesn’t expect to be at City next season despite signing a six-year deal last season.
It says the player is losing confidence at the Etihad amid worries the team’s style of play will not benefit him long-term. Grealish mainly played as an attacking midfielder at Aston Villa but has mainly been used as a left winger by Pep Guardiola.
In his 45 outings for City, the England international - who has been called up by Gareth Southgate for the upcoming Nations Leauge clashes - has scored just seven times and recorded only four assists, albeit Guardiola stressed he did not buy the playmaker for either reason.