A thrilling £70 million star will be brought to the Etihad

According to transfer source Dean Jones, Manchester City will be "in the conversation" for Rafael Leao during the summer transfer window.

By: Frenkie Tran

01/12/2023 08:35

Leao, who represented Portugal five times in the World Cup, was a member of the AC Milan team that won the Serie A championship the previous year.

What is the most recent information on Rafael Leao and Man City?

Instead of waiting until the summer to make moves, Premier League winners City would like to do their business over the offseason. Similar to Liverpool and Real Madrid, City is rumored to be considering a deal for Borussia Dortmund prodigy Jude Bellingham, who is anticipated to depart at the end of the current season.

Premier League winners City would like to do their business over the offseason

City may also find themselves involved in bidding battles for different other targets, such as Milan's Leao, given that that issue is still to be resolved in the summer. According to rumors, Milan is working hard to secure the Portuguese forward's long-term commitment because his contract is scheduled to expire at the conclusion of the upcoming season. If not, he might be sold for £70 million, according to reports in Italy.

What sort of offensive plan would Leao provide City?

It seems the Blues have been begging for some energy up front, going from the rip-roaring, fast-paced City assault from title seasons past to the ultra-controlled, methodical approach used by Pep Guardiola's team this season.

Even though Erling Haaland continues to destroy English football, it seems as though City's current winger profile is restricting the Norweigan marksman. While Phil Foden has struggled to get into games amid accusations that the Etihad Stadium is not a fan of him, Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez often provide a comparable alternative out wide.

What sort of offensive plan would Leao provide City?

If City were to get Leao in the summer, they would have a player who can go in behind opponents and open up scoring possibilities for Haaland. Leao clearly poses a creative danger as he is in the top 10% of players in his position for assists per 90 minutes, according to Fbref. Leao is also a skilled finisher, and with 22 goals since the start of last season, he is undoubtedly a guy Guardiola would like to work with.

Saka and Leao have the ability to be a top-tier team

Rafael Leao and Bukayo Saka have lately been linked to Manchester City, and the two wingers might perhaps make an amazing relationship at the Etihad for years to come. The AC Milan winger reportedly doesn't want to extend his contract at the San Siro through 2024, which has made City, Chelsea, and Real Madrid aware of his availability.

Rafael Leao and Bukayo Saka have lately been linked to Manchester City

As Saka has not yet agreed to a new deal at the Emirates, which might compel the Gunners to sell him before his contract expires in 2024, 90min has also stated that City are interested in signing him.

Pep Guardiola could soon be looking to add a new winger because Riyad Mahrez will be 32 next month. However, if the Citizens sign both Leao and Saka, they may not need to add another winger for at least the foreseeable future.

Only Erling Haaland in the City team has more goal contributions this season than Leao's remarkable eight goals and nine assists in all competitions for AC Milan. Saka, on the other hand, leads Arsenal with seven goals and six assists, which is once more than any of City's existing winger alternatives have accomplished in the Premier League.

The idea of having Leao and Saka on each side, both cutting into their better foot and offering a significant goal threat, would definitely delight the Spanish boss. Guardiola has managed some outstanding inside strikers in his time.

Leao and Saka are both excellent finishers, according to WhoScored, and both prefer to cut inside, which may make them more consistent finishers in the final third for City than players like Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling have been in recent seasons. After his performance against Germany at Euro 2020, the graduate of the Arsenal academy received glowing comments from Rio Ferdinand.

Leao and Saka are both excellent finishers

“We talk about being fearless as a young player, he’s got no qualms about going and roaming around the pitch. He picked the ball up all over the pitch and what was great about him is that he had the confidence to go at them.”

As a result, Txiki Begiristain should exert all of his efforts to bring Saka and Leao to the Etihad this season. Saka stands out as precisely the type of player who would thrive in Manchester City's system, and the idea of him dropping deep to collect the ball while Leao stretches defenses with his pace would undoubtedly be a highly effective one in the Premier League.

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Written by: Frenkie Tran

My football predictions cover a variety of competitions and tournaments. In addition to English and European football, football predictions also include tips on games taking place in the USA, Australia, Africa, South America and beyond, from famous leagues such as the Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga to popular national leagues such as Croatian First League and Portugal Primeira.