Rafa Leao’s Chelsea ultimatum

Carlo Garganese

• 3 Mar 2024 11:30 CST
• 3 min read

Rafa Leao has made it clear to Chelsea that he has no intention of joining them this summer if they don’t qualify for the Champions League.

According to Fichajes, the Blues have made the AC Milan star one of their main targets for the January market.

And Chelsea are even prepared to meet the €175 million release clause in Rafa Leao’s contract in order to buy him.

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However, Leao has told Chelsea that he will not consider a move to any club who are not in the Champions League.

This means that it is highly unlikely that Leao will be joining Chelsea given how far the Blues are off a Champions League place.

With 12 games left of the season, Chelsea find themselves down in 11th position, 19 points off the top four.

READ MORE: Latest Chelsea transfer news

There is a possibility that fifth place will be enough for a Champions League place this term, but Chelsea are still 14 points off fifth.

So we can safely say that Leao will not be joining Chelsea next season if this report is to be believed.

Where will Rafa Leao be next season?

Leao has attracted the interest of a host of top European clubs such as Chelsea, Man Utd, Man City, PSG and Real Madrid over the last year or so.

Leao was Milan’s key player as they won their first Serie A title in 11 years in 2021-22. He was named Serie A Player of the Year, scoring 14 goals and grabbing 12 assists in all competitions.

Last season he struggled to hit the same heights but he still played an important role as Milan reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.

This term Leao has also been inconsistent, though he has been in improved form in 2024 so far.