Chelsea will make new Leao bid under this condition
Karan Tejwani
- 17 Sept 2022 17:15 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea have been interested in the signing of Rafael Leao from Milan, and are monitoring the player’s situation at the Italian champions with a view to a future move.
The Blues were keen on making a move in the final days of the transfer window this summer, but it was too late to spend that much money that late in the window.
They signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang instead from Barcelona, but are still keeping tabs on Leao situation at Milan as his contract expires in two years.
Leao’s stock has risen in recent times having played a crucial role in the Rossoneri’s title win last season, spurring them on to a first championship in 11 years.
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Chelsea keeping tabs on Leao situation
Milan are keen to extend Leao’s current deal, keeping him at the club for longer and strengthening their own negotiation position for the long run, hoping to get the highest fee for him in later years.
The asking price for Leao was a steep £130 million in the summer transfer window, something Chelsea were unwilling to match in the final weeks of the window.
Champions League Vibes 🏄🏾♂️#forzamilan❤️🖤 @acmilan pic.twitter.com/4AbsTz201v
— Rafael Leão (@RafaeLeao7) September 14, 2022
Chelsea are now looking to see if Leao refuses to extend his Milan deal, after which they are certain they will be able to land the player as they will be in a great position to sign him.
Paolo Maldini confirmed the club’s wish to extend Leao’s deal earlier this week too: "We're now in talks to extend the contracts of Ismael Bennacer, Pierre Kalulu and Rafael Leão. We want them to stay, it's also up to the players."
Other than Chelsea, Manchester City are also interested in Leao, with Pep Guardiola an admirer of the player’s talents having seen his development over the last few seasons.
Milan want to build a young core for their squad and want to use that to challenge for top honours around Italy and in continental competition.
