Mundo Deportivo: Barcelona ready late attempt at €90-100m Leao deal – counterparts the key | OneFootball

Barcelona are aiming to make a big move at the end of the summer transfer window and they have set their sights on Rafael Leao of AC Milan, a report claims.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona made it one of their objectives to sign a top level left winger this summer, initially pursuing Nico Williams of Athletic Club de Bilbao but failing to get a deal over the line in time.

Their director Deco really likes Luis Díaz, but Liverpool do not want to let him go. This in turn has forced them to look further down their list and Leao has emerged as the latest target as per the report.

The operation is ‘complicated’ but Barça have an ally in their favour in agent agent Jorge Mendes, while their president Laporta is a big admirer of Leao which could therefore favour the push, even if the ‘financial aspect is a big complication’.

The Portuguese international has a contract with Milan until 2028 and his market value is around €90-100m. Leao signed his renewal in June 2023 but he would be tempted to move on from the Rossoneri after half a decade in Italy and ‘would love to make the move to a big club like Barça’.

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The Catalan club have begun work, believing that Mendes can ‘make a seemingly impossible operation feasible’. Milan may be interested in players that they are looking to offload, such as Raphinha, Andreas Christensen, Iñigo Martínez, Ferran Torres and Alejandro Balde.

Other potential counterparts are mentioned in the report such as Frenkie De Jong, Ronald Araujo and Ansu Fati, but at the moment they are injured and that makes their departure more complicated.

More affordable alternatives like Kingsley Coman (Bayern) and Federico Chiesa (Juventus) are being considered by Barcelona as well.