Milan's Transfer Plans: Ruben Dias Targeted in Leao Swap
Jorge Mendes is once again at the centre of Milan’s transfer plans, and this time the target is as big as it gets: Ruben Dias.
According to Sport Mediaset, the super agent is exploring a sensational swap that would send Rafael Leao plus cash to Manchester City, with the Portugal centre-back heading to San Siro. It is an audacious idea, but it fits the pattern of a summer in which Mendes has effectively taken the wheel of Milan’s market strategy.
Leao on the table
Milan’s stance on Leao has quietly shifted. His contract runs until 2028, yet the club have been actively looking for a new solution for the winger, with no concrete offers close to the €50m plus add-ons they are believed to want. The market has not moved for him as expected, and that has opened the door to more creative scenarios.
That is where Mendes steps in.
He spent the entire afternoon at Casa Milan, holding talks with the Rossoneri hierarchy. Out of those discussions, Sport Mediaset report, came the outline of a proposal: Leao to Manchester City, a cash payment from Milan, and Ruben Dias in return.
Building Amorim’s defence
Milan have already started to reshape their back line. Mario Gila has arrived from Lazio, a first piece in a defence that must adapt quickly to new coach Ruben Amorim and his tactical demands.
But one defender is not enough. The club want leaders at the back, players who can read the game at the highest level and anchor a system that relies heavily on defensive organisation. Dias ticks every box. A Portugal international, a Champions League winner, a player used to carrying responsibility for club and country.
He turned 29 in May, an age that offers both experience and several prime years ahead. His profile aligns perfectly with what Milan are trying to build under Amorim.
Prising Dias from City
Taking Dias out of Manchester City, though, is another matter entirely.
City signed him from Benfica in 2020 for €71.6m, and he is under contract until June 2029. He has been a cornerstone of Pep Guardiola’s defence, a reference point on and off the pitch. Any negotiation would be complex, and expensive, even with a player like Leao involved.
There is also competition. Dias has been linked with a possible move to Real Madrid this summer, a reminder that Milan are not the only giants watching his situation.
For now, the idea remains just that: a proposal Mendes is trying to engineer, a bold attempt to turn an uncertain future for Leao into a defensive statement for Milan. If the pieces fall into place, it would reshape not only the Rossoneri’s back line, but the balance of power in the market this summer.
