Journo drops out-of-the-blue Man Utd bombshell confirming ‘genuine interest’ in 80-goal Portugal international

Manchester United are ‘genuinely interested’ in securing a deal for Rafael Leao this summer, according to Italian journalist Pietro Balzano Prota.It comes ahead of another much-needed rebuild in the transfer window for United as they prepare for their return to the Champions League next season. Il Manchester United è interessato realmente a Leao.@MilanVibesIT #Milan — Pietro Balzano Prota (@PBPcalcio) May 21, 2026DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYReds set sights on Rafael Leao swoopProta isn’t the first to suggest that the Red Devils are among Leao’s suitors, so there certainly seems to be some substance in the speculation. The Rafael Leão show 🍿@RafaeLeao7 || @acmilan || #UCL pic.twitter.com/LSECaZRTpl — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 17, 2023Want more Stretty News coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustIn fact, it has even been claimed that United could look to use out-of-favour forward Joshua Zirkzee in a player-plus-cash proposal for Leao in hopes of bypassing the star’s £103 million release clause.The 26-year-old boasts a stellar record of 80 goals and 65 assists in 290 appearances for AC Milan, where he has previously won the Serie A title and Italian Super Cup.How Leao has fared in 2025/2026While he hasn’t overseen his most prolific season this time around, having returned 10 goals and three assists in 30 games, Leao has done enough to earn a place in Roberto Martinez’s World Cup squad, meaning he’ll be playing alongside Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot when the Portuguese get their campaign underway. Os 𝟮𝟳+𝟭 que levam o 𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗵𝗼 𝗠𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗹 para as “Américas” 💭🏆#VaiDarPortugal | @FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/NXZY6EiuOY — Portugal (@selecaoportugal) May 19, 2026It does, however, also mean that any potential transfer will have to wait until he has returned from the tournament.The Sporting CP graduate has yet to test himself in England, but has gained a wealth of European experience through his stints in his native country, France (Lille) and Italy (Milan). Appearances Goals Assists 226 64 50 Leao’s Serie A record Read more: Carrick makes first major Man Utd transfer call as he tells INEOS to block sale of Bayern, Barcelona and Madrid target