Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke has suggested that the club should consider a swap deal involving Marcus Rashford and AC Milan superstar Rafael Leao. Rashford, who has plummeted out of favour at Old Trafford, is ready for a new challenge and has been strongly linked with a move to the Serie A giants.
Ruben Amorim has excluded the 27-year-old from six of his last seven matchday squads, which should become seven in eight in tonight’s Premier League clash against Southampton.
Leao, like the United boss, has a history with Sporting and could be an appealing target for the Red Devils if the homegrown hero departs as expected this month.
And Yorke has called Amorim to make an audacious move for the Portuguese international if Milan emerge as the winners in the race to sign Rashford.
“I’m not sure why AC Milan want Marcus Rashford as he’s a left-winger and they have Rafael Leao already,” Yorke told Coin Casino.
“These giant clubs like AC Milan don’t bring in big players to be a squad member, they will be bringing in Rashford as a starter.
“Maybe Man United should bring in Rafael Leao in return, but he’d have to fit Ruben Amorim‘s system and produce results on the pitch.”
Leao shares a bond with new manager Sergio Conceicao, who took the reins at San Siro earlier this year after Paulo Fonseca’s sacking.
The ex-Porto bos will be pulling out all the stops to keep his fellow countryman in Milan for the rest of the season at least amid reported interest.
Leao, currently valued at £63million by Transfermarkt, has arguably been Milan’s most prized asset for a while now; only Theo Hernandez can challenge that claim.
Whispers of a possible exit have surfaced before, but Milan will have the final say on his departure as he is contracted until 2028 – and there’s no release clause.
The 25-year-old has chalked up seven goals and seven assists in 25 outings across all competitions this term.
He’s on course to match his scoring contributions from recent seasons, having averaged 15 goals per campaign over the last three years.
Rashford’s stats are similar over the past three seasons, although this is largely skewed by his 30-goal haul in the 2022/23 season.
And United – who are not keen to let him go to a direct rival this month – will be hoping his overseas admirers remember that season as they look to offload a player who may no longer be content at the club.
The Red Devils are reportedly in the market for a left-winger, with Alejandro Garnacho also rumoured to be on his way out, amid heavy interest from Napoli.
This comes as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia closes in on securing a lucrative move to Paris Saint-Germain.