Former AC Milan defender Alessandro Costacurta believes the club will not be losing a "Ballon d'Or-level player" if Rafael Leao decides to leave this summer.

Leao joined Milan for a reported €29.5m from Lille ahead of the 2019-20 season and has gone on to become a key part of the Rossoneri's attack.

The 27-year-old has scored 64 goals and provided 43 assists in 227 Serie A appearances for Milan, who won the Scudetto in 2021-22.

Since Leao's arrival in Milan, only Lautaro Martinez (156), Ciro Immobile (125), Domenico Berardi (120), Romelu Lukaku (117) and Dusan Vlahovic (111) have directly contributed to more goals than Leao.

The Portugal international has hinted towards a summer transfer, telling Sport TV in his native country he needs "a new challenge" and "the Premier League or LaLiga would make more of my talent".

However, Costacurta, who won seven Serie A titles and five Champions League titles with Milan, does not think Leao's exit would be too damaging for the club.

"Personally, I've never considered him a Ballon d'Or-level player," Costacurta told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I played with some of those: They are at an entirely different level. If he leaves, you're not losing a Kaka or an [Andriy] Shevchenko. Rafa has never been a champion like that, even if he thinks he is. 

"If he changes his mind, and if the real leaders come in, and he is given a different role, he could also still be useful in the right context. But he has to be seen for what he is: a very good player, not the star of the team."