Chiellini critical of Leao: “A great substitute rather than a permanent starter” | OneFootball

Giorgio Chiellini has claimed that he would like to see more from Rafael Leao, who is not yet on the same level as a player like Vinicius Junior.

The 2023-24 season was an interesting one for Leao as he racked up 15 goals and 14 assists across all competitions, but it was another campaign in which he alternated world class performances with anonymous ones, and endured further goal droughts.

It has been speculated in the last few days that Leao is the subject of interest from Saudi clubs, above all Al-Hilal. The team that won the last league title in the Saudi Pro League are ready to offer €100m to Milan for Leao and they will table a huge contract offer, but the winger doesn’t seem keen.

In the meantime, he has had a tough start to Euro 2024 with Portugal. Roberto Martinez decided to use him in a front two during their first two group games but he was taken off in each having received yellow cards in both matches for simulation, meaning he missed the final group fixture.

Chiellini spoke during an interview with Sky and he was asked for his thoughts on Leao, a player that he faced when he was still at Juventus. He didn’t hold back on his thoughts, which were relayed by Sportal.

“We all wish he was a bit further ahead [in his development], but he’s not: he lacks the numbers and his potential remains largely unrealised. I don’t know if he’ll ever have that click in his mind to score more goals and provide more assists,” he said.

“As of today, for me, he is a great substitute rather than a permanent starter for a team aiming to win either a European Championship or the Champions League. If the benchmark is Vinicius and Rodrigo, he is not at their level.”