Chelsea have been handed a boost in signing AC Milan star Rafael Leao in January following an update from Calciomercato.
The London giants were heavily interested in landing the Portuguese star during the last transfer window and failed with a late bid in the region of £61.5 million. Chelsea are still interested in pursuing his signature and they could come up with a fresh bid in January.
As per Calciomercato, Milan are still to convince the forward to sign a new contract beyond June 2024. They have refused to meet his salary demands of £7-8 million per year. Talks are ongoing, but Milan could consider selling him if they receive an offer of £88 million this winter.
January purchase
Chelsea have been poor in the Premier League over the past month. A run of five winless matches including three straight losses sees them eight points behind the Champions League spots. Goals have been hard to come by so they need a marquee signing in January for their attack and Leao could be the answer.
The 23-year-old failed to impress in the Champions League meetings against Chelsea this season but there is no denying his quality. The Portuguese can play anywhere in the frontline but has been exclusively operating from the left flank for Milan over the past 18 months.
This has brought the best out of him. After a fantastic 2021/22 campaign with 14 goals and 12 assists from 42 matches, he has stepped up to another level with 7 goals and 9 assists from 20 appearances. He could be a season-defining signing for Chelsea in January.
After scoring just 17 goals from 14 league matches this season, it is clear where Chelsea are lagging behind their rivals. Leao could be available for less next summer with his contract stand-off, but Chelsea need attacking reinforcements this winter to save their campaign.
With another 24 top-flight games following the World Cup, manager Graham Potter has plenty of time to turnaround the club’s fortunes but the owners must back him with funds to strengthen the attack. The current crop of players have largely misfired this season.
