Man City Rumors: Pep Guardiola Wants Striker 'Better Than Cristiano Ronaldo'

Manchester City may consider spending a few millions in the upcoming transfer window.

Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling have been in fine form this season for Manchester City. However, the need to appoint a natural striker is believed to be still in the agenda of Pep Guardiola.

With the January transfer window fast approaching, rumor has it that Guardiola already has a couple of names on his wish list. Among them is AC Milan striker Rafael Leao, Italian outlet Calciomercato reported.

According to the report, Guardiola has “fallen in love” with Leao “so much” that he wants Manchester City to raid the Portuguese as soon as the next transfer window.

At this point, the report said that Leao’s agent Jorge Mendes has already been “in contact for days” with Manchester City.

Mendes and the club’s “goal” is to bring in Leao and Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix to the Etihad Stadium.

However, AC Milan has “no intention” of letting go of Leao, especially this season. In fact, the report noted that the Serie A side’s objective is “clear” and that is to extend the 22-year-old’s contract until 2026.

The report added that “negotiations have already been going on for a few weeks” and AC Milan is planning to lure Leao by adjusting his current deal to around €4 million ($4.5 million) “plus bonuses.”

Leao has been a key attacker for AC Milan this season, having registered a total of five goals and three assists to date.

While Leao’s winter is yet to unravel, AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli had already stressed that the club expects “a lot” from him at present and in the future.

“Believe me when I say that the best thing was to find players in the summer who are greatly improved and convinced–Rafa [Leao] is one of those,” Pioli recently pointed out.

“Leão is a player who can make us win any game, we expect a lot from him,” he continued. “He can get past anyone, he’s a great asset for our offensive phase.”

Like some of the best Portuguese players in the world, Leao was also honed in the country’s famed club Sporting CP.

Leao’s remarkable sting at Sporting even got his former manager Tiago Fernandes claiming he was the greatest player the club has ever had and he’s actually “better than Cristiano Ronaldo.”

“Rafael is the best player in the history of the Sporting Academy,” the coach told French outlet L’Equipe in 2019. “As a youngster, he was better than Cristiano Ronaldo.”