Manchester City ready to double Portugal star’s salary to €12M per year in surging attempt to secure player

According to fresh reports out of Italy, Manchester City are now prepared to offer a staggering salary package to one of Europe’s breakthrough stars in an attempt to secure the services of the player.

That name is AC Milan and Portugal star Rafael Leao – a player that has already caught the eye of Europe’s most premier clubs, and heightened excitement around his abilities with notable performances at the recent FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Manchester City are among such elite, and may be open to investing in a new wide forward given recent sales from their squad and a suggestion that they often lack pace in the position that is being occupied by Leao over in Serie A.

While the domestic season continues to rumble on, and the fixture list increases in intensity, transfer stories maintain themselves in the background, and a new report from Italy delivers an update on City’s apparent interest in the 23 year-old.

According to the information of Tuttomercatoweb, as translated and relayed by Football Italia, Manchester City have now made a ‘sudden surge’ in their contacts with the father of Rafael Leao and are ready to ‘practically double’ his salary to €12 million per season.

However, it is reaffirmed that the Portugal international is still under contract with AC Milan until June 2024, and a January sale remains improbable, despite an offer of over €100 million potentially being enough.

Just this week, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola all but ruled out the possibility of arrivals at the Etihad Stadium next month, with it being stated that those within the club are happy with the squad that they already have at their disposal.

The Catalan coach said during a recent press conference when quizzed on whether Manchester City would bring in any new faces during the winter market, “No, I don’t think so. I think we’re going to finish this way.”

He continued, “I don’t know what’s going to happen. But since I arrived from Abu Dhabi, with Txiki (Begiristain) and everyone, there wasn’t any name on the table.”