Zlatan Ibrahimovic doesn’t believe his AC Milan teammate and Chelsea target Rafael Leao quite understands his potential just yet.
Speaking to Sky Italia, Ibrahimovic warned the world of what could become of his young attacking partner.
At just 23, Leao has already demonstrated his abilities as a frightening forward.
His pace and power combined make him a nightmare for opponents, who often struggle to keep up with the Portugal international.
Very few defences have managed to prevent the Milan winger from scoring or assisting so far this season.
He has already contributed 16 goals in just 20 appearances for the Italian side, as well as bagging twice at the World Cup.
Leao is still in the grand scheme of things at the beginning of his footballing journey; imagine what the next decade has in store.
“His potential was already seen when I arrived, he was just waiting for him to grow,” said Ibrahimovic.
“But getting to Rafa’s level is difficult because he’s above normal. When Leao understands how strong he is, he’ll take another step. It’s scary. In my opinion, he doesn’t know how strong he is today.”
Rafael Leao on the Chelsea radar
Chelsea are clearly aware of Leao’s gifts, as they reportedly attempt to steal him from Milan.
Todd Boehly apparently submitted a £60m bid for the San Siro star, one that was swiftly rejected.
But this will not deter Boehly completely, as he possesses the financial resources to take another stab at Ibrahimovic’s co-worker.
The Stamford Bridge owner will be boosted by the fact that, if Leao does leave Milan, he is said to be the most likely to sign him.
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