Manchester United has been cautioned against signing Rafael Leão for €50 million, as he once betrayed his coach, resembling the now-unemployed Anthony Martial.

There have been recent rumors connecting Manchester United with AC Milan's Portuguese winger Rafael Leão, yet sources advise the Red Devils that acquiring him involves considerable danger, and the main threat extends beyond technical gameplay. Leão, aged 26, has declared his departure from Milan this summer and claimed he has supported Manchester United since the days of Cristiano Ronaldo, making overtures to the English giants.

However, Leão's form declined last season, which he attributed to a groin injury and former coach Massimiliano Allegri's 3-5-2 system that required him to play as a striker—a role he deems unsuitable. This remark has reminded Manchester United fans of former forward Anthony Martial.

Italian journalist Paolo Di Paola stated that Manchester United must think twice before buying Leão. Leão is considered the ringleader of the AC Milan dressing room's opposition to coach Allegri. It is believed that the players' attitudes were a key factor in Milan's shocking final-day loss, which cost them a Champions League spot. Defeated by Cagliari, Milan dropped from second to fifth, losing their Champions League qualification, leading to Allegri's dismissal.

Di Paola said: "Within the Milan squad, there was a group led by Leão that didn't provide much help to the coach. The performances of Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Fofana, and Tomori in the final match were also disappointing. Allegri's ability to manage players was top-notch, but unfortunately, he was betrayed by his players in the crucial match that decided Champions League qualification."

Fabio Caressa of Sky Sport Italia also believes that Leão did not give his all on the pitch as he had promised. "I think when Leão says he gave everything for Milan, people will respond: 'In the past three years, we haven't seen that kind of effort from you.'"

AC Milan is willing to sell Leão for €50 million (£43 million), which is not an excessively high price. However, the off-pitch risks associated with Leão have prevented Manchester United from taking action. After all, the club only recently managed to clear out the "five rats" in the dressing room last year. Some of those players were highly skilled, but their attitudes were deplorable.

Antony and Garnacho were sold outright last year, while Sancho was loaned to Aston Villa for his final contract year, and Malacia's contract also expired. Now only Rashford remains, and Manchester United is striving to find a way to sell him. Bringing in a "drama queen" like Leão at this time would certainly not be a wise move. Leão's red card for striking an opponent in Portugal's friendly over the weekend also did not leave a good impression on scouts.

Manchester United has encountered many similar players in recent years, with French prodigy Anthony Martial being one of them. Back then, club owner Joel Glazer ignored José Mourinho's demands and forced through Martial's contract extension. Martial did have a bright spell, scoring 22 goals in the 2019/20 season to become the team's top scorer. Unfortunately, that was merely a flash in the pan; afterwards, Martial was either injured or out of form, never delivering ideal performances again.

After leaving Manchester United, Martial did not experience a rebirth like some other former teammates. At Greek side AEK Athens, he made 23 appearances in a season, scoring only 9 goals, and was quickly let go. Martial then moved to Mexico's Monterrey, but with just 1 goal and 3 assists in 20 appearances, the club decided to terminate his contract early.

Now, at 30 years old, Martial is unemployed, a stark contrast to his glory days a decade ago when he joined Manchester United for £36 million. This is primarily due to his attitude toward the game.

Many suspect that the Manchester United forward criticized by Cristiano Ronaldo—as revealed recently by Diogo Dalot—who was described as "never achieving greatness" is none other than Martial. According to Ronaldo, that teammate scored twice in a match but lacked the determination to pursue a hat-trick, showing no passion.

Signing a new striker this summer is not Manchester United's top priority. Therefore, "TEAMtalk's" claim that United is interested in Brentford's Brazilian forward Igor Thiago is completely unrealistic. The 24-year-old Thiago scored 22 goals in 38 Premier League matches, second only to Erling Haaland, winning the Premier League Silver Boot and setting a record for most Premier League goals in a season by a Brazilian player.

However, Thiago's performances this season have made him expensive; Brentford is reportedly asking for £70 million, which is beyond Manchester United's reach. According to the Manchester Evening News, United's plan is that if Zirkzee can be sold, they might bring in an experienced forward.

By "experienced," they mean a slightly older, mature striker who would serve as a backup to Benjamin Šeško, enabling rotation and competition among players. For example, Brighton's Danny Welbeck would be suitable. Manchester United will not invest heavily in another high-profile forward. The club believes that Šeško is capable of being the main center-forward for a long time, and his first-season performances have been quite satisfactory.