Chelsea and Man City set for Rafael Leao disappointment in January

Karan Tejwani

• 16 Sep 2022 02:20 CDT
• 3 min read

Rafael Leao has become one of Europe’s most highly-touted talents after an impressive campaign last time around with Milan, as he spurred them to a first Serie A win since 2011.

The Portuguese winger has started this campaign well too and is a key target for the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, with the Blues even eyeing a move for the player towards the end of the summer transfer window.

Chelsea were prepared to launch a bid – and according to Milan chief Paolo Maldini, they even opened talks – but the Italian club’s high asking price put them off making a move.

They are now set to suffer another blow in their pursuit of the player, as reports in Italy suggest Milan are going to do their best to keep Leao at the club for the foreseeable future.

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Milan wish to extend Leao's deal

Milan wish 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 possible fee for him in later years.

The asking price for Leao was a steep £130 million – something Chelsea were unwilling to match in the final weeks of the window, and they signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang instead.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan are set to open talks with the 23-year-old and extend his current deal, which expires in 2024 – something the player is keen on doing as well.

Maldini later confirmed the rumours, adding in Leao won’t be the only extension: "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."

Milan are adamant on building a young core to help them challenge in both Europe and Italy, something they hadn’t done for nearly a decade but are now on the right path for.

Other than Chelsea, Manchester City are also interested in Leao, with Pep Guardiola reportedly being an admirer of the player’s talents having noted his development at Lille and Milan over the years.