Rafael Leao has picked his ‘dream’ Premier League team as he gets closer to leaving AC Milan.
AC Milan and Portugal winger Rafael Leao has already shared his dream of playing in the Premier League, almost confirming he’ll be leaving the Rossoneri soon.
Leao, 26, has been linked with moves away from AC Milan for a while now. Big clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona have all shown interest in him.
So far, Leao has scored 80 goals and made 65 assists in 291 games for Milan. Last season, he scored 10 goals, but Milan finished fifth in Serie A and missed out on the Champions League again. This led to coach Massimo Allegri being fired.
Oliver Glasner, the Crystal Palace boss, is reportedly the favorite to replace Allegri, but he might not get to work with Leao. Speaking to Portuguese media, Leao said he’s ready for a new challenge: “I’m proud to have made history at AC Milan, but I want to start a new chapter. I feel ready to play in another league. I did my best for Milan, but it’s time for something different.”
According to Football365, Manchester United know Leao is available. Michael Carrick wants to strengthen his squad ahead of a busy season with the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, Premier League, and Champions League all on the schedule.
United is looking to sign two midfielders, a left-winger, a left-back, and maybe a striker and a center-back. Their summer 2025 signings like Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Senne Lammens, and Benjamin Sesko have helped the team finish third in the Premier League.
Leao has spoken before about how much he likes Manchester United. As a kid, he watched them because of his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo. “I like Arsenal, too,” he added.
If he joins United, Leao would compete for a starting spot on the left with Cunha and Patrick Dorgu. Milan values him at about £43 million, and his contract runs until 2028. He’s also played with Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot for Portugal.
United is also interested in Atalanta’s midfielder Ederson, with a £38 million deal said to be close.
Back in 2023, Leao talked about playing in the Premier League, saying: “Every player wants to play there because it’s very competitive, exciting, with great teams and a huge global audience. Serie A is strong, but I’d love to play in the Premier League someday.”
He added, “My football goals are to win the Champions League and a Ballon d’Or. But personally, I don’t stress too much – I like to go with the flow.”