After playing a key role in securing his first Italian Football League title since 2011, Portuguese striker Rafael Leão’s position in ancient Milan has been strengthened in light of the impressive level he has also shown at the start of the new season, which made Rossoneri fans » to dream of leading it, reliving its former glory and charming continental evenings.

Milan returned to the Champions League last season for the first time since 2013-2014, but his career ended in a group stage result that was somewhat expected given the presence of Liverpool, Atlético Madrid and Porto Portugal. the experience that Stefano Pioli’s players have.

But now Milan are defending their position as Italian league champions and want to go far with the dream of winning their first Champions League title since 2007, when they were crowned for the seventh time, counting on their 23-year-old Portuguese star to be the center of gravity. Pioli team during a meeting on Wednesday in London against Chelsea. The English club in the third round of Group E, led by the Italian team, drew with the Austrian Red Bull Salzburg (1:1). ) and beat the Croatian “Dinamo Zagreb” (3:1).

And after scoring 14 goals on 12 assists last season in all competitions, Liao has started this season on a very promising note, also scoring four goals on seven assists in nine home and continental games.

Milan’s only defeat this season was against Napoli in the local league and that came in the absence of Liao, giving a clear indication of the young international winger’s influence on the Pioli side.

Milan’s challenge at Stamford Bridge will not be easy with the many injuries he suffers from, including Frenchman Theo Hernandez and goalkeeper Mike Manian, but the team’s impressive league victory over Empoli on Saturday shows that his the mood is very high, despite the absence.

– “No one is for sale” –

Leão will return to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, where he will try to maintain his team’s lead, which is currently one point ahead of Dinamo Zagreb.

If Liao manages to lead his team to a positive return from London, it will boost Chelsea’s desire to sign him, and he made an unofficial offer to join him from the Lombard side this summer, but his wish was not granted.

Milan value Liao at over €100m and want to make the most of that investment, knowing the Portuguese will eventually join one of the wealthy European clubs that Milan have pulled out of since being sold by the former prime minister. Silvio Berlusconi.

Club legend and manager Paolo Maldini confirmed last month that Milan had turned down an offer from Chelsea, but added that “it’s pointless to be romantic… when certain kinds of offers are made, nobody can sell out.”

Milan are trying to convince the Portuguese to extend his current contract, which runs until 2024, with Corriere della Sera newspaper reporting that the club offered the international winger an annual salary of between 6 million and 7 million euros in an attempt to avoid losing his services.

Milan are hoping to sign a new deal before the 2022 World Cup kicks off on November 20, when Liao’s star is expected to shine in Qatari stadiums.

The Portuguese newspaper Record also alleged that Maldini met twice with sporting director Frederico Varandas as part of negotiations for the €20 million Leão had to pay his former club.

Liao unilaterally terminated his contract with Sporting CP in 2018 after supporters attacked the club’s training ground and joined French club Lille.

Milan are reportedly trying to strike a deal with the Portuguese club in hopes of convincing Leão to stay at the San Siro for a long time, which is exactly what the Rossoneri fans want after seeing the Portuguese develop against them to become one of the best players in the world.