AC Milan boss Paulo Maldini confirmed that Chelsea made an informal approach for Rafael Leao in the summer transfer window.
Leao has become one of the brightest young talents in Europe in recent seasons. With a unique profile, Leao is a tall and powerful winger who can also play as a striker.
His ability to take on players at pace makes him difficult to defend against, so it’s no surprise to see Europe’s big clubs showing interest in signing him.
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Now speaking to Football Italia, as quoted by 90min, AC Milan boss Maldini confirmed that Chelsea made an approach to sign Leao during the summer transfer window.
“An official offer from Chelsea never came, but informally it did. Of course, it was rejected,” Maldini said.
It is understandable that AC Milan were not interested in getting rid of Leao during the summer. 90min’s report states that Leao’s buyout clause is €150m, so Chelsea will have to spend big if they want to land their man.
Leao is similar to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (who joined Chelsea this summer) in the way he can play centrally or on the wings, but due to Aubameyang’s age, he won’t be at the club for long and Leao could be your long-term replacement.