The summer transfer window will open a few weeks later and work must already be underway at Chelsea on strengthening the squad. The Blues have already announced the appointment of Xabi Alonso as the new manager. Yes, ‘manager’, not head coach. His impending arrival has raised expectations. The Spaniard was the popular choice amongst the fans. And he is expected to be a lot more involved than previous coaches during the BlueCo era.
Of course, with several positions in need of strengthening, Alonso will need to make the most of his ability to identify talent. There are a few players the club are already being linked with consistently.
Now, another name has emerged on their radar. And in this case, it is someone who has been linked with Chelsea for longer than BlueCo have been involved.
According to TuttoSport (via Tuttomercatoweb), Leao’s future remains uncertain. In the contract, there is still a clause of €175 million, but the real valuation is very far from that figure. AC Milan would consider offers above €50-60 million. Chelsea are one of the clubs carefully watching the situation.
Chelsea linked with Rafael Leao again
It makes sense for Chelsea to be eyeing the Portuguese international winger. The Blues are particularly weak when it comes to their left flank.
The club did invest significantly last summer, bringing in Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens. But both have had a tough time proving their mettle in Chelsea colours. As a result, the Blues might be looking to upgrade in that position.
There is expected to be competition for Leao’s signature, despite his downturn in form and importance in the eyes of Milan. Barcelona and Manchester United are also believed to be monitoring the winger.
Would Leao be the right signing?
For the right transfer fee, Leao might still be a very good addition. That being said, there are certainly worries than cannot be overlooked.
Firstly, this is a player who has lost prominence at AC Milan. Is he someone who can come in and make his mark at Chelsea under difficult circumstances? The Blues will certainly be signing someone on a downward trajectory, which is rarely a good idea.
Secondly, there is always going to be the worry about players being able to adjust to the Premier League. The Serie A is much slower and tactical compared to the pace and physicality of the English top flight. So would Leao be able to cope with that transition or would he struggle?
Sourav Mahanty
Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow. Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.
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