Barcelona transfer target destroys Real Madrid defense in Champions League encounter | OneFootball

With Raphinha stepping up his game at the start of the 2024-25 season, FC Barcelona have not noticeably suffered from their unsuccessful pursuit of Nico Williams during the last summer transfer window.

The Catalan team’s attack seems well-established with Raphinha, Lewandowski, and Yamal all performing at a high level. However, reports indicate that the Blaugranes are still looking to reinforce the left-wing position in the next summer transfer window.

One player they have been closely linked with recently is AC Milan forward Rafael Leao. The Portuguese winger reportedly has a strained relationship with his new coach, Paulo Fonseca, leading to speculation that he might be put on the market in the coming months.

FC Barcelona have thus been keeping a close eye on his situation. The Catalans would have been pleased with recent developments, as SPORT reported that Leao was one of the standout players for Milan in their match against Real Madrid.

Carlo Ancelotti chose to keep Lucas Vazquez at right-back despite the threat posed by Leao, with Fede Valverde instructed to assist Vazquez in containing the Portuguese winger.

However, this strategy did little to hinder Leao, who was able to exploit the spaces and frequently outpace Vazquez with his speed and strength throughout the game.

Although he didn’t score, Leao was directly involved in two of Milan’s goals at the Santiago Bernabeu. For Milan’s second goal, he held the ball under pressure and took a shot that was saved by Lunin, allowing Morata to score on the rebound.

For the third goal, Leao once again showcased his strength, breaking through the Merengue backline and delivering a perfect pass to Tijjani Reijnders, another player recently linked with Barcelona, who scored.

Leao’s performance surely caught the attention of Barcelona scouts. For now, it remains to be seen how his situation at Milan develops following this showing and whether Barcelona will be able to bring him into their fold in the coming months and years.