EVERTON JOIN RACE TO SIGN LEAO

Merseyside club Everton have reportedly joined the race to sign AC Milan forward Rafael Leao this summer. Italian football publication Corrieredello Sport revealed that the Toffees are the latest club keen to sign Leaoin time for the start of the new season.

Milan attacker Leao has been attracting the interest of several teams throughout the summer. Apart from Everton, fellow Premier League team Wolverhampton Wanderers are also keen on the 22-year-old player.

German Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund have also identified Leao as a potential replacement for Jadon Sancho who has returned to the Premier League after four years in Germany. The Red Devils paid around £73m to secure the signing of the England international. He had joined Dortmund from Manchester City four years ago.

Italian football giants Milan have placed an asking price of €25m on Leaoas established by the aforementioned media portal.

Leao joined Milan from Lille in a €29.5m deal two years ago and the French Ligue 1 champions are entitled to 20 percent of any future transfer fee for him.

Milan attacker Leao came though the popular Sporting Lisbon Academy and he struggled to find a permanent role in the team under Rossoneri manager Stefano Pioli last season. He was used as a centre forward and as a supporting forward in a Milan shirt last season.

The likes of Borussia Dortmund, Everton and Wolves will have to pay the €25m as mentioned above if they want to secure the transfer of Leao from Italian football. Leao scored seven times for AC Milan last season in 40 games in all competitions. Also, the player provided six assists for his teammates.

Leao is not the first choice striker at Milan but the club is not desperate to sell him despite the arrival of French striker Olivier Giroud from Chelsea.