Sport: Leao would be ‘delighted’ to join Barcelona – Laporta plots summer move | OneFootball

Rafael Leao is still attracting the interest of Barcelona and he would gladly accept a move to join them next summer, a report has claimed.

As SPORT recall, Leao has been liked by Barça for some time as the links first surfaced last summer, when they ran into a wall in their pursuit of Nico Williams. The Catalan club consider him a difference-making winger, and president Joan Laporta ‘maintains a preference’ for the Portuguese.

The president dreams of making a big-name signing for when the new Camp Nou refurbishment is finished and the option of Leao is seen as exactly that. However, Leao renewed his contract with Milan until 2028 with a release clause of €175m, so they have all the leverage.

Needless to say, Barça would never consider paying such an amount, but an amount around €80-90m would make the Milan management reflect. Leao is fully amortised, so at this point it would virtually be pure profit.

Barcelona have had financial difficulties but are working with confidence that the economic and FFP situation will be much better next summer. Several agreements are being worked on and the one that has been done with Nike will give a huge boost to the club’s accounts when it is signed.

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The report adds that Leao ‘would be delighted to wear the Barça shirt’ and after almost six years in Italy he ‘would say yes with his eyes closed’ to an offer from them. However, to date he has preferred not to give too much credence to the rumours, aware of the complexity of a hypothetical negotiation.

He is happy at Milan for now, but he has had clashes with Paulo Fonseca, which have increased the temptation to change scenery. The ‘Jorge Mendes factor’ must also be taken into account: the agent’s links with Barça are undoubtedly a point that would play in favour of the Blaugrana.