Kylian Mbappe’s decision to stay at Paris Saint-Germain and sign a new contract sent shockwaves through the footballing world. And it could have had a direct impact on Arsenal’s transfer plans.
According to Spanish news outlet Marca, Real Madrid want to sign Rafael Leao from AC Milan after missing out on Mbappe to PSG. The two players operate in the same position which is on the left-hand side and in an inside forward role.
Leao had previously been linked to Arsenal, and he would have been an excellent addition for the Gunners in the summer, But Mbappe’s recent transfer decision could have hampered a potential deal.
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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 excellent performances this season helped his Milan side to lift the Serie A trophy and beat their fierce rivals Inter Milan to first place. Leao’s importance to this trophy was highlighted by the fact that he won Serie A player of the season.
Arsenal reportedly registered interest in Leao 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.
Nicolas Pepe has featured heavily on the right-hand side for Arsenal meaning Leao would not be a direct replacement for him if he was to leave the club which has been recently anticipated. 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.
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.
However, a deal would now certainly be hard to complete with Real Madrid reportedly also registering interest in the attacker after missing out on Mbappe. This has been made even more difficult now that it is confirmed that the Gunners will not be in the Champions League ahead of next campaign.
