Rafael Leao returned to the XI against Club Brugge, but he didn’t play a good game and was yanked after an hour. The Rossoneri finished strong. The two subs, Noah Okafor and Samuel Chukwueze, both had an assist. There were some scattered boos when Paulo Fonseca replaced him.

The Portuguese winger had some questionable behaviors. He was icy while coming off and didn’t celebrate after the goals, OneFootball relays. In addition, he left the game quickly after the final whistle and the stadium just 15 minutes later.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, if things don’t improve between Leao, Fonseca, and the whole Milan environment in general, his departure would start being a topic of conversation. It could happen in January already, but more realistically at the end of the season.

The forward has a €175M release clause and is under contract until 2028. The Rossoneri never truly entertained his exit despite a thorny negotiation to renew his contract in the past. Moreover, he didn’t draw exorbitant bids.

Our Take on Milan and Leao

They must tread the needle as, on one hand, every team benefits from not being too reliant on a single player, especially an inconsistent and mercurial one. On the other, while the backups have been more convincing, he’s a lot more talented and impactful on his day. The best possible outcome would be for Fonseca to touch on the right strings to get him going, as he’s done for other players. Instead, if he continues to underperform and pout, they wouldn’t be wrong in pulling the plug. There’s a reason why top teams never seriously targeted him, and large offers would probably come only from Saudi Arabia.

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