Liverpool have reportedly joined Chelsea in the race to sign AC Milan forward Rafael Leao in the summer, as per the Italian outlet Calciomercatoweb.
The 23-year-old has established himself as a talismanic figure at the San Siro Stadium since joining the club back in 2019, helping his side in winning the Scudetto last term.
After a slow commencement to this campaign, the forward has started to showcase his best over the last few weeks, scoring eight goals and notching up six assists in 23 Serie A appearances.
The forward has entered the final 18 months of his current contract and Stefano Pioli’s side have already opened talks with him over a new deal. But, despite their best efforts, AC Milan are yet to convince Leao to sign the extension.
So, the Portuguese’s long-term future with the Rossoneri is currently uncertain and his potential suitors such as Liverpool and Chelsea are looking to take advantage of this situation.
According to the report by Calciomercatoweb, Leao is edging closer towards leaving AC Milan and the Serie A giants are ready to listen to offers for their star man. Liverpool are showing an interest in purchasing the highly talented forward with Jurgen Klopp being a huge fan of the attacker.
The report further claims that although Leao has a release clause of around £132m in his current deal, Milan could lower the price tag due to his current contract situation and could accept a fee of around £106m.
Battle
The report also says that Liverpool could propose a player plus cash deal to secure Leao’s signature and may offer Luis Diaz, who is valued at around £70m, in a part-exchange.
However, it has previously been reported that luring the Milan man to Anfield won’t be easy for Liverpool as Chelsea are also keen on purchasing the Portugal international.
The Blues have been linked with a move for Leao since last summer and they even reportedly submitted an official proposal worth £88m. But, the Rossoneri were reluctant to sell so a move didn’t materialise.
Meanwhile, despite spending over £500m over the last two transfer windows, it has been suggested that Chelsea could once again splash the cash next summer and strengthening the attack is seemingly on the agenda. So, they could revive their interest in signing Leao.
The 23-year-old is an extremely talented player and possesses high potential. So, he would be a very good acquisition for Liverpool or Chelsea if either club were able to get a deal done.
However, Luis Diaz is Liverpool’s one of the most influential players since his arrival last year and the Reds have been struggling over the last few months amid his injury absence. So, it is highly unlikely that Klopp would want to let the Colombian leave the club in the summer.
In addition, Liverpool have already got enough firepower in their attacking department and they don’t need more reinforcements there at the moment. Chelsea are also well stocked in attack following their transfer activity over the past few months so it will be interesting to see if their club formalises their interest in Leao this summer.
