Why Chelsea will struggle to sign Rafael Leao
Karan Tejwani
- 18 Oct 2022 07:35 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea may have suffered a blow in their hopes of signing Portuguese star Rafael Leao in the coming transfer windows after Milan’s latest revelations.
The Blues have targeted the forward as one of their top transfer priorities, having tracked his progress for some time and they have been eager to make a move for some time.
They were open to the idea of signing him in the summer, but Milan were demanding too big a fee and Chelsea were unwilling to pay that in the final days of the window.
It was believed that Chelsea will be making a move for Leao in the near future yet again – possibly in the summer – but may have an obstacle in their way if they wish to get the transfer done.
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Milan have been working on giving Leao a new contract in the hope of tying him down to the club for the foreseeable future and putting themselves in a strong negotiating position.
Leao’s current deal runs out in 2024, and club officials such as Paolo Maldini have spoken about their desire to extend his deal soon to avoid losing any bargaining power.
A very strong 14th place finish for Rafael Leão at the 2022 #BallonDor ceremony, a clear indication of how far he has come, how much he has grown and where his career is headed.
Only the beginning, @RafaeLeao7.
We goooooo 🏄♂️🔴⚫️ pic.twitter.com/DtIWZGhG60— Matt Santangelo (@Matt_Santangelo) October 18, 2022
Now, director Frederic Massara has said Milan are confident of reaching an agreement: “We’re confident to reach an agreement with Leao and extend his contract. We’ll try to find a solution to proceed with Rafa for long time”
“His father’s here tonight, we’ll speak during the dinner,” he added, adding to reports that the Italian side were set to meet with Leao’s lawyers for further talks as well.
Leao was crucial in helping Milan win Serie A last season as the Rossoneri ended an 11-year wait to win the top-flight title, with his form towards the end of the season spurring them on.
Other than Chelsea, Manchester United have also shown an interest in the player in recent weeks and could be tempted to make a move for him in the future.
