Rafael Leao Responds to Claims of Being a Negative Influence at Milan

Rafael Leao has publicly slapped down a report suggesting new Milan coach Ruben Amorim considers him a “negative influence” in the dressing room, accusing the source of “lying” on social media.

The Portugal international, usually a quiet presence on X, broke his habit after seeing a post repeating claims first reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport. The report stated that Amorim views Leao as a disruptive figure inside the Milan squad and is worried about the winger’s impact on the team’s atmosphere.

Leao didn’t let it slide. “Maybe because you are lying,” he wrote in reply, adding three laughing-face emojis to underline his disbelief.

The 25-year-old is absent from Milan’s friendly against Manchester United, but that, club sources insist, is down to a minor injury rather than any disciplinary issue or clash with the new coach.

Off the pitch, his future has hovered over Milan’s summer. Both player and club have been open to a sale, yet the market has not responded with the kind of money the Rossoneri initially wanted. Approaches have arrived from Galatasaray, Besiktas and Fenerbahce, but only in the form of relatively low offers.

None of those bids have come close to Milan’s original valuation: 50 million euros plus 10 million in add-ons. That stance is softening. The club are now prepared to listen at around 40 million euros, a clear signal that a parting of ways is firmly on the table.

For now, Leao is fighting the narrative as hard as he fights full-backs. The next move belongs to the market – and to Milan’s new man on the touchline.