Sometimes spending big on a player doesn't pan out, and that appears to be the case for Manchester City and Jack Grealish. The English giants spent about $120 million (£100 million) in 2021 to sign him from Aston Villa, which made him the most expensive English international ever signed, but the 27-year-old has failed to nail down a consistent spot in Pep Guardiola's starting XI.
As a result, City are looking at other options, with AC Milan's Rafael Leao apparently high on that list. The Portuguese star has been quite a revelation since arriving at the Stadio San Siro in 2019, and last season, chipped in with 14 goals (11 in Serie A) as the Rossoneri won their first Scudetto since 2011.
However, given Leao's vitality to the squad, Milan obviously will not part with one of their key players so easily. That being said, reports, namely from Italy and England, have claimed that City, who have vastly more economic power than Milan, will also be keen on using Grealish as a sort of makeweight in order to get their player.
Despite Milan not having the huge coffers of Manchester City, the Diavolo may not be so easily swayed. For starters, Grealish, as a Premier League player, commands a massive salary, with the former Aston Villa man earning about $18 million (£15 million) per season, which is well above anything Milan - or pretty much the vast majority of Serie A sides - could realistically afford.
Additionally, Milan's advisers will have certainly been watching Grealish's showings for City and may not be so convinced that the English international would fit into their project and ambitions to compete both domestically and in Europe.
Still, City have shown when they really want a player, they will make it happen. Leao has about 18 months remaining on his current contract and has been offered a deal worth an estimated $7 million per season, but reports indicate that City are prepared to offer nearly double that to bring the former Sporting CP and Lille player to the Etihad for next season.
