Rafael Leao is reportedly the focus of FC Bayern. The Portuguese player has enormous potential, but one flaw makes him a mixed bag.
After Florian Wirtz’s rejection, FC Bayern’s attention is apparently turning to a new candidate: Rafael Leao from AC Milan. According to Sky, the German record champions have already contacted Leao’s advisor Jorge Mendes.
The news was met with positive reactions from many Bayern fans on social media. Even celebrity fan Boris Becker pleaded for the 25-year-old Leao several times on X. The Portuguese international striker “would be a dream signing for FC Bayern,” wrote the German tennis legend.
The euphoria surrounding Leao is hardly surprising. After all, the trained left winger, who can also play as a shadow striker or in the center forward position, has set some highlights in recent years.
Leao Shoots Milan to the Championship
Leao’s dream season in 2021/22 is particularly worth mentioning, when he was the linchpin of Milan’s attack, scoring eleven goals and providing ten assists in the league alone – and was consequently voted Serie A player of the year.
In the end, Milan’s first championship since 2011 even resulted, securing Leao a place in the history books of the great club. In addition, he scored the fastest goal in Serie A that season. His goal after 6.2 seconds was even the fastest in Europe’s top leagues.
Leao, who was born in Almada, Portugal in 1999 and later trained at Ronaldo’s club Sporting Lisbon, is known for his explosive starts, strong dribbling, precise passes into space and accurate finishing.
In short, Leao has everything it takes to be an offensive winger at an absolute top level.
“Leao is Phenomenal”
At the beginning of the year, Leao proved that he can have a significant influence on important games. In the Supercoppa, Milan were already 2-0 down against arch-rivals Inter before the attacker was substituted on in the 50th minute and was subsequently involved in all three goals in his club’s 3-2 victory.
Fellow countryman and coach Sergio Conceicao then emphasized the potential of the attacking artist. “Leao is phenomenal. I’ve known him for a long time,” explained the Portuguese: “He still has a few things to learn and then I believe he can become the best player in the world.”
Rafael Leao is linked with FC Bayern
Players in these spheres are of course also interesting for FC Bayern – also because Leroy Sané’s future is still uncertain. Leao could take over his role on the left wing and bring new momentum to the Munich team’s attacking game.
Milan Departure After Six Years?
In addition, there are signs of upheaval in Milan, as the Rossoneri have missed out on European Cup qualification for the first time since the 2014/15 season. According to Italian media reports, Leao is also one of the potential candidates for a transfer. Although his contract runs until 2028, he is putting a considerable strain on Milan’s budget as one of the top earners.
Possible buyers should also be aware of the striker’s main weakness: the lack of consistency in his performances. Despite his overall successful time at Milan, Leao has not been able to get rid of these fluctuations.
Even his former coach Stefano Pioli, who led Milan to the championship in 2022, had repeatedly emphasized that Leao could do practically everything, but he showed this too rarely and was particularly ineffective in front of the opposition goal.
Fluctuating Performance as a Flaw
Even after his escape from Sporting in 2018 – as a result of the violent fan attacks – the striker had difficulties performing consistently: At Ligue 1 club OSC Lille, Leao scored eight goals in 26 appearances – not enough for the expectations of the French.
Milan still paid around 30 million euros for the offensive player in the summer of 2019. But Leao’s early days in Lombardy were also sluggish.
In his first season, he scored six goals in 33 games, mostly as a substitute. In the following season, Leao scored just seven goals in 40 competitive games.
This was followed by the outstanding 2021/22 season and a very strong following season with 16 goals and 15 assists in 48 competitive games. However, during Milan’s runner-up season in 2023/24, criticism of Leao’s inconsistent performances resurfaced when he only contributed nine goals in the league.
Leao also failed to live up to expectations at the 2024 European Championship in Germany. In his four starting appearances for Portugal, who were eliminated in the quarter-finals by France, he was always substituted and remained without a scorer point.
Egoistic? Leao Defends Himself Against Criticism
However, the 25-year-old did not leave the repeated accusation of egoism uncommented.
“When I was little, I liked to dribble and give assists. I watched everyone, especially Xavi and Iniesta, who played 30-meter passes or just five-meter passes to get a striker on goal. That’s why I’m not selfish,” Leao clarified in an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport before the season.
The striker has little time for outside criticism anyway: “The only criticism I hear comes from my coach, the managers and the people at Milan. They love me here, they know what level I can reach – and I know it too.”
What exactly does Leao mean by that? “I can be one of the best, not just at Milan, but in the whole world.”
A clear statement – and one that shows: Rafael Leao certainly doesn’t lack the confidence for a move to FC Bayern.