According to Caught Offside, Manchester United are weighing up an ambitious swap deal for AC Milan winger Rafael Leao during the summer transfer window.
The Red Devils have qualified for the Champions League after a two-year wait, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. United may focus on landing a new left winger in the summer, and Leao has now emerged as a prime target.
Caught Offside claim that Man United are lining up a player-plus-cash deal for the former Lille man. Leao has two years left on his contract which has a staggering £152 million release clause, but he could be signed for a significantly lower fee.
The Rossoneri could accept a fee of around £44 million for a part-exchange deal. United could offer one of Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee or Marcus Rashford as a makeweight to bring the Portuguese winger to Old Trafford ahead of next season.
Competition
Matheus Cunha was signed to reinforce the left-wing department by the Red Devils last summer. The Brazilian has had a decent debut campaign with 10 goals and 4 assists from 35 appearances across all competitions.
However, United still need more goal contributions from the left side of the attack if they want to challenge for silverware. Patrick Dorgu has impressed as a makeshift left winger on occasions but he does not possess the dribbling skills or creativity of a specialist winger.
Leao would be a good competitor for the position. He has had reduced impact at Milan this term with just 13 goal contributions, but that has been primarily due to playing as a second striker alongside Christian Pulisic in a 3-5-2 formation under manager Massimiliano Allegri.
In 2024/25, Leao operated as a specialist left winger and his statistics were far superior with 12 goals and 13 assists. The 26-year-old has exceptional dribbling skills and has the pace to get behind opposition defences, which would suit Red Devils’ playing style.
The big question remains whether he would accept a rotational role alongside Cunha next term. At Milan, he has been a consistent starter on the left wing, but won’t have the same assurance at the Red Devils under Michael Carrick, who is set to become the permanent head coach.
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