Chelsea are reportedly in constant contact with AC Milan striker Rafael Leao ahead of the summer, with Liverpool also following the player. The Portuguese forward is likely to leave the San Siro at the end of the season.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan are willing to renew his contract, which expires in 2024, and are willing to offer him a salary of around 6.5 million euros per season. However, the 23-year-old Leao has not committed his long-term future with the Rossoneri.
Chelsea have been linked to the attacker for a long time and have been in constant contact with their representatives. The Blues are reportedly leading the race to sign the leader from Milan but need to agree a transfer fee with the Serie A holders to secure the signing of him.
Leao is interested in joining Graham Potter’s side, as he knows they have more financial power than the Rossoneri. In addition, the Portuguese attacker wants to prove his worth in the Premier League. He has scored nine goals and provided ten assists in 32 games in all competitions this season.
Chelsea have struggled for goals this season, scoring just 23 in the league, the fewest in the top ten. There are question marks over the futures of several forwards at Stamford Bridge, including Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic. Ziyech came close to joining Paris Saint-Germain last month, while Pulisic has been linked with Real Madrid.
However, the Blues are not the only Premier League team linked to Leao. Calciomercato reports that Liverpool are also aware of the Portuguese striker. They report that Milan value the player at 120-150 million euros. Jurgen Klopp’s side could even offer Luis Diaz in a trade to secure the signing of the former LOSC Lille leader.
Liverpool were interested in signing Benoit Badiashile before he joined Chelsea in January.
Badiashile joined Chelsea in the January transfer window from AS Monaco for €38m. The French defender has been one of the few new signings from the Blues to have hit the ground running. He has appeared five times for his new side, helping them keep three clean sheets.
The young Frenchman has been touted as one of Europe’s most promising centre-backs, and it looks like Potter’s side beat Liverpool. CBS journalist Ben Jacobs told CaughtOffside that the Reds were interested in Badiashile while he was in Monaco, but the Blues beat Liverpool to his signing.
The Reds continue to search for a new defender, with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Max Kilman a reported target. However, they face competition from Tottenham Hotspur for their signature.