At this point, it’s hard to tell whether Portuguese forward Rafael Leao will remain at AC Milan or if would he be tempted by a move to another league. But it’s not hard to tell that Leao’s already got a big fan in the former England international Rio Ferdinand.Rafael Leão will be key in the second leg 🔑@rioferdy5 and @jjenas8 certainly liked what they saw from Milan’s talismanic forward tonight.#UCL pic.twitter.com/IFbG3h1YLF— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 14, 2023 The former Manchester United, Leeds United and West Ham United centre-back watched closely as Milan defeated Tottenham in their UEFA Champions League round of 16 match – and he liked what he saw from the speedy Portuguese.”I think what’s great about him is that he can change the rhythm of the game. The game was played at his pace, he can run about and then walk with the ball. If you can do that at the highest level, that tells me that there is something special there. I think he’s got enough there for teams to say ‘you know that I would like that at my disposal’. He’s doing that in a struggling team this year as well.”The 23-year-old hit 14 goals in 42 appearances last season and even though Milan’s form has suffered this season, he’s still managed nine goals in 30 appearances. With eight goals and five assists, the speedster sits at the top of the goalscoring charts for his club and lies in a respectable sixth when compared to other forwards in the league.Rafael Leão vs Tottenham, MOTM!(@RafaeLeao7) pic.twitter.com/WyxiNUEDHc— Jones🇧🇷🇦🇷 (@Jones17iii) February 14, 2023 His impact in the Champions League has not been as impressive but he has helped Milan progress further than they did in the last campaign where they crashed out at the bottom of their group. Chelsea have been credited with an interest in the ex-Lille goalscorer – but that’s not saying much about the future. After all, aren’t Chelsea “interested” in everyone these days? Still, Leao’s ability, pace, and technique would certainly be a welcome addition to the Premier League – whether it’s in a blue shirt of Chelsea or some other.One thing is sure: Rio Ferdinand is a big fan!
