AC Milan may now be preparing to retain Rafael Leao after Christopher Nkunku was reportedly made available for transfer, with no substantial offers arriving for the Portugal forward.
Manager Ruben Amorim met Milan owner Gerry Cardinale on Thursday to discuss the club’s plans for the summer and drew up a list of players who could leave. Nkunku’s inclusion was viewed as a surprise, particularly with the Serie A campaign due to begin in just over a week.
The decision has raised questions among Milan supporters, who believe the club’s approach suggests a significant change in transfer strategy. Nkunku appeared to be part of the team’s plans only recently, but is now seemingly no longer central to Amorim’s vision.
Milan’s original plan was understood to involve selling Leao after spending almost €80m to sign Goncalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain. The funds from Leao’s departure would then have helped finance the arrival of a replacement winger.
However, the only clubs to make approaches for Leao were Besiktas, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce. None of those offers came close to Milan’s reported valuation of €50m plus a further €10m in potential additions.
All three clubs are now understood to be looking at alternative targets, leaving Leao increasingly likely to remain at San Siro. That would represent a notable change from earlier this year, when the player said his time at Milan was over and that he wanted to pursue a new challenge.
Leao’s current contract runs until June 2028, meaning Milan are under no immediate pressure to sell. With the expected transfer interest failing to materialise, the club could now reconsider its plans and attempt to repair the relationship with the forward.
Sky Sport Italia reports that Leao is due to hold a face-to-face meeting with Cardinale next week to discuss his future. The meeting is expected to acknowledge that the offers Milan had anticipated have not arrived.
One possible outcome is the opening of talks over a new contract. Any extension would probably involve a lower salary, or at least no improvement on his existing terms, rather than a significant pay rise. Leao would also be expected to try to establish greater consistency under Amorim, his fellow Portuguese coach.
The composition of Milan’s attack could therefore change considerably. If Nkunku is sold, alongside Santiago Gimenez, the likelihood of Leao staying at the club will increase further.
Milan’s position has shifted largely because the market has not delivered the expected solution. Rather than using Leao’s sale to fund another wide player, the club may now have to keep him and find a way to revive his role in Amorim’s plans.
The situation remains open until Leao’s meeting with Cardinale, but with no major bids currently available and his contract extending for another two seasons beyond the current campaign, Milan appear increasingly positioned to keep their forward rather than force a move.
