Rafael Leao Responds to Claims of Being a Negative Influence

Rafael Leao has publicly slapped down claims that new Milan coach Ruben Amorim considers him a “negative influence” in the dressing room, responding bluntly on social media: “You are lying.”

The Portugal forward, usually quiet on X, broke his usual silence after seeing a post repeating a story first run by La Gazzetta dello Sport. The report suggested Amorim viewed Leao as a disruptive presence in the Milan squad and was worried about the winger’s impact on the team’s atmosphere.

Leao didn’t let it slide. Quoting the post, he replied: “Maybe because you are lying”, punctuating the message with three laughing-face emojis – a short, sharp dismissal of the narrative building around him.

Away from the online noise, Leao is absent from today’s friendly against Manchester United. The reason is far more mundane than the rumours: a minor injury rules him out, with no disciplinary issues involved.

His future, though, remains wide open.

All summer, Milan and Leao have been open to a sale. The market response has been lukewarm. Approaches have arrived from Galatasaray, Besiktas and Fenerbahce, but only in the form of low offers that fell well short of Milan’s initial demands.

The Rossoneri started by valuing Leao at 50 million euros plus 10 million in add-ons. No club has come close to that figure. The stalemate has forced a rethink at San Siro, and the club are now prepared to drop their asking price, with a deal potentially on the table for around 40 million euros.

Leao has made it clear he won’t accept every story written about him. The next question is whether any club is willing to pay the price to test Milan’s resolve.