Rafael Leao confirms he has no intention of leaving AC Milan amid Chelsea interest
According to Transfer Expert Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports (h/t Express), Chelsea have received a massive boost in their bid to sign Rafael Leao as he is not willing to sign an extension with AC Milan.
The Portuguese winger, who was part of the national team squad that got knocked out by Morocco in the quarter-final of the World Cup, has a contract with the Serie A champions until the summer of 2024 (Transfermarkt).
A few weeks ago, Leao’s father talked about the player being happy in Milan and also shared that the talks about a contract extension are going in a positive direction.
Well, if the latest report is to be believed, then the player is not willing to sign that extension. Not having confidence in the offer is the key reason.
Chelsea wanted to sign Leao in the preceding summer window, but their offer was well below Milan’s valuation, which is the player’s release clause of £128m. They would not entertain an offer below that.
But, if the 23-year-old does not sign an extension, he will enter the final 12 months of his contract at San Siro come next summer. Will that soften Milan’s stance on demanding a high price? Probably so.
Leao has been one of the wingers in Europe in the last 18 months or so. After an excellent last season where he scored 11 goals and assisted 10 in 34 league games to help Milan lift the Scudetto, the Portuguese star made a great start to this season with six goals and five assists in 14 league games before the World Cup.
In the current team, Chelsea lacks a wide attacker who can make hefty contributions in the goals and assists column. Moreover, the future of Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech is not looking good.
So, signing Leao would not only serve as a possible succession plan but also an upgrade on the current options. We need to make sure the 23-year-old signs for us either in January or in the summer.
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