Chelsea’s relentless pursuit of Rafael Leao has his head turned as the Portuguese star is stalling on signing a new contract at AC Milan.
According to Give Me Sport, Rafael Leao may stall on signing a new contract with AC Milan as Chelsea’s interest reportedly turned his head. The Blues have not ceased their pursuit of the Portuguese winger, as the Serie A side could contemplate selling him for £86 million in January.
The upcoming January window could spring a few surprises as several high-profile players are linked with moves. It’s not in the character of the winter market to see multiple significant activities happen. Still, a combination of heavy interest and the contractual situation could dictate the terms next month.
One such case is Rafael Leao, whose contractual situation is causing tremors within the AC Milan camp. The 23-year-old attacker’s contract is up in 2024, and he earns around £28,000 per week in wages at San Siro. The Serie A giants are working hard to extend his deal, but there are many high-level roadblocks along the way.
While Milan is keen to offer him new terms, Chelsea’s relentless pursuit is not helping them reach an agreement. Leao, for his part, is reportedly stalling on signing the new offer as he probably awaits an official offer from the Blues.
While there’s interest from other top sides, including Manchester United and Real Madrid, Leao may have his head turned by Chelsea’s pursuit. It is quite a significant boost for Todd Boehly and his plans to build an exciting team, as the 23-year-old attacker is one of his primary targets.
Manchester City are also chasing Leao, although it may appear Chelsea are confident and much closer than anyone expected them in the hint for the 23-year-old attacker. In any case, Milan are set to demand at least £86 million in return, which the Blues may oblige.
The news will come as a blow for Milan, who have relied upon Leao and were confident he would sign a new deal at the San Siro. They wanted the 23-year-old attacker to lead the next generation for many years, but their hopes could crash.
Leao was long expected to move to one of the big leagues of Spain or England, and the latter could get him through Chelsea. He will be an important signing for the Blues in their pursuit of building an exciting future squad.
