AC Milan set new price for Chelsea to sign Rafael Leao in January. (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)
According to the Daily Star, Manchester United have joined Chelsea in the race to sign talented Portuguese winger Rafael Leao who plays his football for Italian giants Inter Milan.
That Chelsea are interested in the 23-year-old is no secret now with the Blues credited with an interest in the AC Milan wide man for quite some time now. Leao had an audition of sorts in the games against Graham Potter’s men in the Champions League and surely did not disappoint.
Leao joined the Italian giants from Lille in 2019 and is now in his fourth season at San Siro. He is arguably the team’s most important player alongside Theo Hernandez and the duo wreck havoc on the left flank for Stefano Pioli’s side week in and week out.
Not the typical winger going around, Leao is tall and strong and uses his physical strength to get past players. He is not a mazy dribbler but has the tendency to maximize his strengths as much as possible whilst minimizing his weaknesses.
Leao has played 13 times for the Italian club across all competitions, scoring four goals and providing eight assists across all competitions. He only seems to keep getting better game after game and the ceiling that the 23-year-old can reach.
The talented Portuguese forward has a contract with the Serie A behemoths until 2024 (transfermarkt). If he fails to renew his contract with AC Milan, he could be available for a cut-price deal for the Premier League clubs that have been mentioned.
Chelsea are very keen on signing the player, but they will not have it easy especially with Man United also in the race. It remains to be seen how the Blues convince the Portuguese winger to choose Stamford Bridge over Old Trafford.
Leao will undoubtedly be an excellent signing for Chelsea. However, it is far more complicated than it sounds and the Blues will have to be at their negotiating best to pull this deal off.
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