AC Milan news: Rossoneri sporting director Paolo Maldini has revealed that Chelsea were interested in signing Rafael Leao in the summer transfer window.
Maldini revealed that although Chelsea did not make a formal offer for the Portuguese striker, they did receive it informally. AC Milan, however, chose to reject Chelsea’s advances.
“The official written offer from Chelsea did not come through, but at an informal level it did. Of course, it was rejected,” Maldini told Sport Mediaset.
Leao’s current contract with Milan is due to expire in 2024, meaning he has less than two years left on his current deal with the Italian outfit.
AC Milan’s season start
Milan posted a 4-1 victory over Udinese in their first game in Serie A this season. Atalanta drew 1-1 in their next game in the Italian top flight.
Milan then faced Bologna and secured a 2-0 win over them. They dropped points in their next game when Sassuolo held them to a goalless draw. Milan then edged out city rivals Inter 3–2 in their next game.
The Serie A side then kicked off their 22/23 Champions League campaign sharing points with RB Salzburg after a 1-1 draw. Milan then played Sampdoria in Serie A and emerged victorious, beating them 2-1.
Milan’s last win came against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League as they secured a 3-1 victory.
Chelsea’s start to the season
The Blues have had a mixed start to their 22/23 season. They started with a 1-0 win over Everton in the Premier League. But they dropped points in their next game, drawing 2–2 with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Chelsea then suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Leeds United in their next game, with the latter posting a 3–0 win over the former. The Blues returned to winning ways when they met Leicester City in their next game as they inflicted a 2-1 loss on the Foxes.
Chelsea then fell to another defeat, losing 2-1 to Southampton. They defeated Southampton 2-1 in their next game. Stamford Bridge then started their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb. Chelsea sacked Thomas Tuchel following this loss.
They have since appointed Graham Potter and have played one game since the former Brighton manager took over. They faced RB Salzburg in the Champions League in a match that ended 1-1.