A Manchester United transfer target has been handed a straight red card during a pre-World Cup brawl with his opponent also sent off
Manchester United transfer target Rafael Leao has been sent off during Portugal’s final penultimate World Cup game against Chile after appearing to PUNCH his opponent.
Leao, 26, who last week admitted in an interview that he wants to leave AC Milan this summer, has been linked with a blockbuster move to United during the transfer window.
But in his first game since making the revelation, Leao has been shown a straight red card. Starting for Roberto Martinez’s Portugal in a World Cup warm up match against Chile, the forward was sent off just before half-time after getting into an altercation with centre-back Ivan Roman.
Al-Hilal’s Joao Cancelo and Felipe Faundez had been battling for the ball near the corner flag, before a brawl erupted and Leao got involved, pushing Roman several times and striking him in the face.
Following a VAR intervention, Leao was sent off by referee Giovanni Baccini for violent conduct with Roman also dismissed. It meant Portugal and Chile had to play the entire second half with 10 players.
Leao, meanwhile, has been tipped to make the move to the Premier League with United, Chelsea and Arsenal among his potential suitors, after he expressed his desire to leave Milan.
Speaking in an interview with Sport TV last Saturday, Leao made it clear he wants to move to a new club. He has spent the last seven years at the San Siro, scoring 80 goals and adding 65 assists in 291 matches.
Leao said: “I think I gave Milan everything I could give. It is a club that helped me grow a lot and supported me through difficult moments. I am happy to have left my mark on the club’s history.
“Everyone has their dreams, their challenges, the things they want, the goals they want to achieve. And I also want to take on a new challenge in a new league.”
United are thought to be interested in signing Leao, with head coach Michael Carrick keen to strengthen his forward line in preparation for a return to the Champions League. Milan value the ex-Lille man at £43million and don’t want to lose him for less than his valuation.
Leao, meanwhile, would have been hoping to have a strong World Cup with Portugal to help his chances of sealing a transfer this summer. But that plan has got off to the worst possible start with Leao getting a red card in Portugal’s first warm up game ahead of the North America tournament.