Stefano Pioli lamented Rafael Leao’s “strange” lack of form after the Milan forward endured another underwhelming outing in Monday’s 1-1 Serie A draw with Salernitana.
The Rossoneri failed to capitalise on slip-ups from top-four rivals Inter, Roma and Lazio as Olivier Giroud’s first-half header was cancelled out by Boulaye Dia after the break.
In a wasteful display which saw Milan record 24 shots but draw just two saves from Salernitana’s Guillermo Ochoa, Leao attempted a game-high five shots – none of which found the target.
Having reportedly attracted interest from a host of European giants including Manchester City, Chelsea and Real Madrid after helping Milan win the Scudetto last season, Leao has struggled in recent weeks.
The Portugal forward has gone 10 games without scoring since finding the net at Lecce in January, leading Pioli to bemoan his inability to replicate his promising performances in training.
“Being close to my players is my priority, when things are going well or badly,” Pioli said when asked whether Leao would benefit from more criticism.
“Leao’s strange situation is this – in training he does very well, he moves a lot and does everything very well, then in the game he does less. He has to find a middle ground.”