Chelsea to make €100m bid for Rafa Leao

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 21 Feb 2023 08:26 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea are ready to make a €100 million offer for AC Milan star Rafa Leao.

That is according to Todofichajes, who report that the Blues will make a three-figure opening offer for the Portuguese winger ahead of next season.

The report adds that AC Milan’s contract talks with Leao are making little headway, making a summer move away from San Siro increasingly likely.

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Leao’s contract at San Siro expires in 2024, meaning Milan will be forced to sell him this summer if they cannot agree a new deal in the coming months.

Milan do not want to sell Leao and want to build their team around him in the next few years.

However, contract negotiations are proving to be difficult for a player who is also of interest to Man Utd, PSG and Real Madrid.

Rafa Leao contract problems

Leao and Milan have been in talks since last summer to extend but hope is now starting to run out at San Siro in convincing the 23-year-old to stay.

There are two major reasons for this. The first is salary. Leao has been requesting €8m per season, while Milan are not prepared to go any higher than €6.5m in total.

Secondly, Milan are refusing to pay for the compensation that Leao owes to former club Sporting Lisbon.

The forward has been ordered to pay Sporting €19.5m after losing a court case over breach of contract.

Leao walked away from Sporting as a free agent in 2018 after the club’s training ground was invaded by fans, claiming it threatened his safety as an employee.

But Leao lost the legal case and he wants the club who he signs his new contract with to pay this compensation.

Leao was Milan’s key player as they won their first Serie A title in 11 years last season. He was named Serie A Player of the Year, scoring 14 goals and grabbing 12 assists in all competitions.

This term he has been dogged by inconsistency, with questions raised over his motivation as Milan have struggled badly to retain their title. They are currently fourth, 18 points behind leaders Napoli.

Leao has gone seven games without a goal or assist but is still considered one of the most exciting young attackers in Europe.