Manchester City have opened the door for the ideal Nicolas Pepe replacement in Rafael Leao. It seemed the Portuguese star had opted to sign a new contract with his current club AC Milan, but the reported interest from City highlights that he could be available.
According to Italian news outlet Calciomercato, Jorge Mendez has told Milan to expect an offer from an English club for his client Leao this summer. With the Premier League side reportedly being Manchester City.
This comes after Arsenal reportedly registered interest earlier in the season as Italian outlet La Repubblica claimed that Arsenal had turned their attention to the AC Milan forward for the summer transfer window. It is a deal that Edu could look to revisit, as Arsenal could be short in the wing positions going into next season.
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There’s an extra incentive for the Gunners to sign him after Leao also revealed his admiration for Thierry Henry on social media recently. The Milan forward posted a surf emoji when referring to Henry’s excellent performance against Real Madrid for Arsenal in the 2006 edition of the Champions League.
The Portuguese attacker has 13 goals and seven assists for Milan this season, and would certainly add more quality to Arsenal’s frontline. What makes him more of a desirable signing is that he can feature on either the wing positions or as a lone forward, which highlights his versatility.
His best position, however, is the inside forward position from the left-hand side which fits perfectly into Mikel Arteta’s system. Gabriel Martinelli has featured in a similar for the Spaniards and has been thriving for the Gunners.
Pepe’s future is uncertain at the club as according to the Evening standard Arsenal will sit down with the winger and his agent at the end of the season to discuss his future. The winger has two years left on his deal and is expected to leave in the summer.
Pepe has featured heavily on the right-hand side for Arsenal meaning Leao would not be a direct replacement for him. However, Martinelli has had a lot of success when given a chance on the right-hand side which would open a spot for Leao if Arteta is to opt for a more fluid system. Leao’s versatility to also play as a striker also makes him an attractive signing as the Gunners will be short in that position going into next season.
According to Italian news outlet Gazzetta dello Sport , PSG are prepared to offer AC Milan £59m to also secure the services of the Portuguese international. The Parisian club are also willing to pay the youngster £5m-a-year in order for him to join the club, meaning Arsenal have been given an indication of what it would take to persuade the winger to join the club.
The forward would certainly be an excellent signing for the Gunners. If Edu wants to complete a deal for Leao, he now has a clear price on what it would take to bring him over to the Emirates stadium, and Manchester City’s interest highlights the doubts about his Milan contract situation.
