Tottenham Hotspur have made efforts to sign AC Milan’s Rafael Leão, according to Fabio Cordella.
The Italian has worked in football as sporting director and general manager for Ivory Coast and Royale Union Saint-Gilloise respectively.
He appeared as a guest on Calciomercato.it’s broadcast on TV Play, where he commented about Tottenham being an option for the forward.
Towards the end of the summer transfer window, Chelsea made efforts to sign the 23-year-old. This has been confirmed by the Serie A winners’ chief, Paolo Maldini. The Blues are still said to be in the picture to sign him, and are joined by Spurs.
The Portugal international has two years left on his current deal at the San Siro and Milan have been working to tie him down to a new contract. That has not happened so far due to the differences in supply and demand.
“Milan do not have the means and do not want to have the means to match the demands of the entourage. The boy did not grow up in Milan, he did not stick to the Rossoneri colours,” Cordella said.
“When offers arrive with triple the salary from other parts of the world, it is difficult to keep him.
“Leão will only renew on his terms, not Milan’s. The Portuguese only look at the numbers. Such a young player, who knows he can take three to four times more, doesn’t want to stay in Milan. Are you asking for €7m a year? No more.
“There are prestigious clubs where a young boy like Leão can marry a cause and make history like Totti at Roma while moving only for the money may not happen.
“There are clubs that have offered even ten million a year to Leão. Saying Chelsea is not silly, but there are other English clubs on him, including Tottenham.
“But in my opinion Leao, far from the lights of San Siro, would not be the Leão of Milan, but just a phenomenon among many. It is not obvious that he will go to Manchester City and it is not obvious that then City will win the Champions League.”
