Blow for Chelsea in Rafa Leao chase
Karan Tejwani
- 20 Sept 2022 08:55 BST
- 3 min read
The race to sign Rafael Leao is picking up pace as Paris Saint-Germain have now joined Chelsea in the bid to sign the Milan forward in the coming transfer windows.
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 from Barcelona instead but are still keeping an eye on the Leao situation at Milan as his contract expires in two years, with the Blues keen to make a move.
Things won’t be easy though, as PSG have entered the fray, with a view to bringing the player over to the Parc des Princes next summer.
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Race for Leao getting bigger
There have been suggestions that Chelsea will make a move depending on certain situations, such as Leao’s contract situation in the coming months and whether he will extend his San Siro stay.
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."
We ain’t finish … 🏄🏾♂️🍿 https://t.co/RCb7G6SKt5
— Rafael Leão (@RafaeLeao7) September 11, 2022
PSG, meanwhile, feel that Leao could be a valuable addition to their team’s attacking line, and could be the long-term successor to Kylian Mbappe in case the French forward leaves the club.
Other than PSG, clubs such as Manchester City are keeping an interest in Leao in the hope of signing him in the future, but know that he won’t come cheap.
The fee set for Leao by Milan was around €130 million and it could be quite similar in upcoming windows given the player’s obvious talent and potential in the future.
