One single stat means Liverpool can comfortably leave £87m winger for Chelsea

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Liverpool can leave Rafael Leao for the likes of Chelsea and one single stat shows why. The Reds reportedly like the AC Milan star.

Calciomercato.it reported this week that Liverpool were one of several clubs looking at AC Milan’s Rafael Leao. Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain seemingly lead the charge but the Reds are in and around it.

But we’re not sure they should be. Leao is undoubtedly a massive talent and a player worth looking at but not the right fit for Liverpool.

One single stat shows that, conveniently. Leao is, per FBref, one of the worst pressing wingers in Europe – he sits in literally the bottom percentile for the position.

He gets there by pressing a mere 7.68 times per 90 over the last 12 months. But his stats for this season are actually even worse, with only 5.5 presses per 90.

You can look at that and argue that maybe Milan don’t press much. That figure, however, is rock-bottom for the club – Leao presses less than their centre-backs. In fact, he presses less than the 36-year-old target man, Olivier Giroud.

Liverpool can leave Rafael Leao

For more perspective on this, Mohamed Salah is the worst-pressing winger at Liverpool and he’s at over 9 presses per 90 this season. Luis Diaz, someone who plays the same position as Leao, reaches above 13 times.

And then there’s Diogo Jota and Fabio Carvalho – the pair have each averaged over 28 presses per 90, albeit in limited minutes.

Liverpool are a side that relies heavily on pressing from their forwards and Leao simply doesn’t tick that box. At all. It would be one thing if his numbers going forward were extraordinary but they’re not. You need output like prime Cristiano Ronaldo to excuse a lack of defensive work, especially at Liverpool.

And it would be okay to take a chance if Leao were cheap. Then you could easily argue that he might develop and is worth the risk. Milan apparently want at least £87m for the winger, however – that’s an incredibly expensive risk.

We think in all honesty, that Liverpool can leave Leao for Chelsea. He’s not the player for Anfield.