AC MILAN TOPS SERIE A! LEAO STUNS CAGLIARI AS THE ROSSONERI CLIMB HIGHER
Rafael Leao's winner and Davide Bartesaghi’s defensive masterclass led injury-hit Milan past Cagliari. See Füllkrug’s debut news.
Rafael Leao knows he needs to get sharper in front of goal as a center-forward, and he couldn’t stop praising Milan teammate Davide Bartesaghi after their match against Cagliari.
The first half? Pretty rough—lots of mistakes all around. But after halftime, Milan woke up, pushed harder, and Leao ended up scoring the winner thanks to an assist from Adrien Rabiot. Christian Pulisic and Luka Modric both tested the keeper, while Mike Maignan barely had anything to do with Cagliari’s attack.
Leao talked about the team effort: “We prepared well, and we knew this game would be more about mentality than skill,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “Davide Bartesaghi played as a central defender for the first time, but when you have the right mindset, you can handle anything. He did really well tonight. He can do big things at Milan. If we all stay focused, it just gets easier.”
Leao clearly believes in Bartesaghi: “He knows how I feel. He’s smart, he works hard, and even though he’s young, he’s becoming important for us. I really think he’ll achieve a lot.”
Niclas Fullkrug made his debut in the last 20 minutes, only hours after joining from West Ham on loan. Leao liked what he saw: “Nic came on and did well, especially since he just arrived. The team’s playing well right now, and that makes us happy. I feel like if I get two or three chances, I need to score at least twice. The coach is putting me closer to the goal, so I have to be more alert, and I’m grateful to the squad for giving me those chances.”
So, is Milan aiming for the Scudetto or just a Champions League spot this season? Leao kept it simple: “We have our goals, but it’s a long season. Everyone knows what the club wants. We’re Milan—we have to fight for big trophies.”
With injuries to Christopher Nkunku and Santiago Gimenez, and guys like Pulisic, Pavlovic, and Gabbia only fit enough for the bench, Milan had to get creative. That’s how Bartesaghi ended up plugging a hole in the back three.
Bartesaghi’s approach is pretty straightforward: “I let my play do the talking. I’m thankful the coach and team trust me. Anytime they ask for something, I give it everything I have,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “Leao always wants me to set him up, but I tell him—everything comes when it’s supposed to.”
RADJA NAINGGOLAN SLAMS NAPOLI’S SCOTT MCTOMINAY AS "JUST AVERAGE" IN TV RANT
Radja Nainggolan has sparked controversy by calling Napoli's Scudetto winner Scott McTominay "average" in a scathing TV interview.
Scott McTominay’s journey from Manchester United to Napoli has been wild. He’s helped the club win a Scudetto, snagged a Ballon d’Or nomination, and his goal tally is impressive. But not everyone’s sold on him. Even with all those honours, one Serie A legend isn’t convinced. Radja Nainggolan slammed him as just “an average player".
After McTominay’s £26 million jump from Old Trafford in 2024, he took off. He won the Serie A MVP, clinched Napoli’s fourth Scudetto with a spectacular overhead goal against Cagliari, and made a big mark in Italy. Still, Nainggolan, never shy with an opinion, tore into him during a TV interview. Despite McTominay racking up 26 goals in 76 games and getting a Ballon d’Or nod, Nainggolan didn’t hold back. “I don’t like him,” he said on Sky Calcio Unplugged. “He gets his goals, 12, 13, 14 a season, but his general play? He doesn’t have the technique to move between the lines. He’s just average.”
And he wasn’t content to leave it at that. Nainggolan compared himself to today’s names, arguing he was better than both McTominay and Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu at his best, though he admitted Nicolo Barella sits above him. “At my peak, I was better than McTominay and Calhanoglu, but Barella is on another level,” Nainggolan said. “He doesn’t always score a lot, but when he does, it matters, and you always feel his presence on the pitch. I like De Bruyne, too; he sees things nobody else does. He’s above me, and Modric...he’s always been world-class.”
Of course, Nainggolan’s take doesn’t really jibe with life in Naples. McTominay has become something of a hero there; his face is on murals around the city, the fans have dubbed him ‘McFratm’ (McBrother), and he helped Napoli win the Supercoppa Italiana in December 2025. Even if Inter seems ready to grab the Serie A crown back, McTominay’s reputation hasn’t dipped. His knack for scoring from midfield has been crucial for Conte’s side.
Nainggolan also touched on Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” and why they didn’t deliver a major trophy, despite stars like Lukaku, Hazard, and De Bruyne. He knows the team well, having made 30 appearances before retiring after he got left out of the 2018 World Cup squad. “We had Lukaku, Hazard, De Bruyne, and Courtois. Too many superstars, too many egos,” Nainggolan said. “Everyone wanted to be the star, to be the most important guy, and that just doesn’t work.” His take pretty much confirms what fans suspected: there was plenty of talent, but not enough unity.
MANCHESTER UNITED AND CHELSEA ENTER RACE FOR DISCOUNTED €50M-RATED RAFAEL LEãO
Discover why Rafael Leão’s value has plummeted at AC Milan and which Premier League clubs are leading the race to sign him.
Just a year ago, everyone was buzzing about Rafael Leao and his rumoured €120 million move to Chelsea. Fast forward to this summer’s transfer window, and it looks like AC Milan’s ready to let him go for nowhere near that amount. Manchester United, along with a few others, are circling, hoping to get him for much less.
Last week, Gazzetta dello Sport broke the news: Milan now values Leao at just €50 million. That’s a wild drop, especially since six months ago they slapped a €100 million price tag on him.
So what happened? Why did his value tank so quickly?
Perception plays a big part. Leao’s estimated transfer value hasn’t actually changed that much. FootballTransfers’ algorithm had him pegged at €72.5 million last July, and now he’s at €70.7 million. But Milan’s own estimate? That’s fallen off a cliff.
Last summer, Milan wanted €50 million above the algorithm’s number. Now, they’re ready to accept an offer that’s €20 million below it.
Leao once had everything going for him in Milan. In the 2021/22 season, he carried them to the Scudetto, racking up 11 goals and 10 assists. Clubs were fighting over him, and in 2023, Milan rewarded him with a hefty €7 million salary and a massive €175 million release clause. That’s when top European clubs started sniffing around for a record-breaking deal.
But the new contract didn’t spark another big season for Leao. In his next campaign, he scored 15 goals and managed 14 assists, but fans started to turn, especially after two weak outings against Roma in the Europa League.
Things haven’t improved since. Early in the 2024/25 season, Milan benched him for disciplinary reasons, and he seemed pretty unfazed, something that sparked more criticism. He’s had some public clashes with head coach Max Allegri, too. Despite still being Milan’s top scorer, he hasn’t scored in two months. And the fans? They’ve booed him at home games, most recently against Juventus and earlier against Udinese.
Now, Milan looks ready to move on. Leao’s raw talent is still obvious, but at San Siro, the excitement has faded. SciSports, the data analytics folks, show his performance is in “significant decline” based on their SciSkill rating. Still, they think he can bounce back.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan plans to hold off until the World Cup, hoping Leao puts on a big show for Portugal and builds hype again.
He’s still got admirers. Arsenal’s been keeping tabs on him, FootballTransfers said back in February. Chelsea, Liverpool, and United are all in the market for a left-sided attacker and would jump at the chance to grab a rejuvenated Leao.
Sure, the €120 million rumours are a thing of the past. But the old Leão, the top-class player, is still in there somewhere. He just needs the right club, coach, and a fresh start.
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