The 26-year-old’s declaration is likely to place United on high alert as Michael Carrick’s side seek to strengthen their squad ahead of their first Champions League campaign since 2023-24. Leao is reported to be available for a bargain fee of around £43million this summer, following the Italian giants being forced to settle for the Europa League. Leao has consistently been linked with a switch to the Premier League, most notably Chelsea, but a move to Old Trafford has emerged as the latest potential destination, with United understood to be actively seeking a new winger this summer.
He told Sport TV Portugal: “I’m proud as I made history at AC Milan but I want new chapter. I feel ready to play in another league. I did my best for Milan, but it’s time to try another challenge.”
The 26-year-old scored nine goals and registered three assists for Milan this season during a turbulent campaign for the Serie A giants. Leao was utilised predominantly through the centre as a striker, with just three of his 29 league appearances coming from the left — yet it is from that flank where he has produced his finest football, netting 61 times and contributing 56 assists across 208 outings,
Should United’s recruitment team be keeping tabs on Leao, they would need to revisit the 2024/25 season to witness some of the winger’s most impressive displays from the left, where he reached double figures for assists (10) and chipped in with eight goals. He posted comparable numbers 12 months prior, contributing nine goals and setting up teammates on 10 occasions.
The forward has previously spoken of how watching Cristiano Ronaldo made him a devoted United follower. He told the Cernucci podcast: “Yeah of course I like (Manchester) United because my idol is Cristiano Ronaldo, so back then, I used to watch them. I like Arsenal also.”
Despite the season concluding just seven days ago, United have wasted no time in the transfer market and appear to be on the cusp of completing a deal for Ederson from Atalanta. Carrick’s impressive stint as interim manager helped steer the club to a third-place finish and qualification for the Champions League, though the new United chief has already made clear his ambitions heading into the forthcoming transfer window.
He said: “I think the beauty of the next transfer window, for everybody, it’s always the biggest thing in the world, and the most important transfer window of all time, for every club, I think. That’s just the nature of how it’s been created, to be honest, and I think, again, as a football club, you want to keep moving forward. We certainly do. As a football club, we want to keep moving forward.
“I think it’s acknowledged we’re at this stage, and the dynamics and the balance of the direction we’re at, where we’ve ended up getting to, and finishing in the league, there’s obviously work to do. It’s quite obvious, with certain players leaving, there’s a bit of work to do, but this one is not any more important than the last one, it’s what’s ahead of us as a football club to try and make the most of it.”