Reports in Italy are claiming that now AC Milan striker Raphael Leao turned down a move this summer from Everton before making the move to Serie A.
As reported by CalcioMercato via Sport Witness, the 20-year-old Portuguese youth international was the subject of some serious interest from the Toffees, with the report claiming that Everton were willing to quadruple Leao’s previous wage package at Lille to tempt the youngster to make the move to Merseyside.
Yet as we now know, the former Sporting Lisbon academy player turned down a move to the Premier League to instead make the switch to Italy to join AC Milan, where this weekend Leao scored his first goal for the Rossoneri with a fantastic solo effort in a 3-1 defeat against Fiorentina.
However, as one talented striker slipped through Everton’s fingers to move to Italy, another one departed the Mediterranean county to join Marco Silva’s side as the Toffees’ managed to pull off the audacious signing of 19-year-old Juventus attacker Moise Kean, with BBC Sport reporting that the blue side of Merseyside paid a reported £27.5m for the Italian international.
The summer was one that saw plenty of clubs interested in Leao as the young attacker exploded onto the scene in France for Lille.
Dubbed ‘the Portuguese Kylian Mbappe’ as relayed by French football journalist Julien Laurens via BBC Sport, the prospect was a vital clog in the Ligue 1 side’s incredible second-place finish in the table along with the influence of now Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe.
Everton might have missed out an exciting young talent now plying his trade with one of the biggest sides in Europe, but Leao’s rejection of the club pointed Silva and company into the direction of Kean, who could be the Toffee’s starting striker for years to come.