Rafael Leao has signed a new five-year contract at AC Milan that will extend his stay at the Stadio San Siro until 2028. After months of speculation surrounding the Portuguese star’s future, the Rossoneri confirmed that an agreement had been reached at lunchtime on Friday, June 2, 2023.
The contract negotiations were anything but straightforward and, at times, it appeared that the two parties were destined to separate, but Leao, his representatives and AC Milan were able to reach common ground and have a new deal penned.
“AC Milan is pleased to announce the extension of Rafael Alexandre da Conceicao Leao‘s contract until 30 June 2028,” read the club’s official announcement of the extension. “Having arrived in the summer of 2019, Rafael has made 162 appearances, scored 41 goals and 29 assists for the Rossoneri.”
Milan also noted that Leao was named as the Serie A MVP – or Player of the Season – for their title-winning campaign in 2021/22.
Rafael Leao salary
As is always the case with contracts in football, there are a number of figures being reported as Leao’s salary as part of his new AC Milan contract.
Capology list Leao’s gross annual salary at AC Milan as being just over €6 million, which comes in at around €123,000 per week. SempreMilan have reported a net figure of €5m, plus bonuses.
What is clear after the contract extension is that Rafael Leao is the Rossoneri’s second-highest earner after midfielder Ismael Bennacer. The Algerian earns more than anybody at AC Milan with a reported €7m salary.
Rafael Leao release clause
Much like they did with Bennacer as he penned his own new contract in January 2023, AC Milan have included a release clause in Leao’s new contract.
The fee agreed in Bennacer’s deal was €50m, but the price placed on the Portuguese’s head is considerably higher, with Leao having a €175m release clause in his AC Milan contract.
According to Transfermarkt, Rafael Leao’s market value at the time of his contract extension is €80m.
In 2022/23, Leao has scored 14 goals and provided a further 15 assists in 47 appearances across all competitions, with one Serie A Matchday still to play. Since joining Milan in 2019, Leao has played 162 times, scoring 41 goals and adding 36 assists.
