The Chelsea winger ranks could be about to undergo a shakeup this season. One could argue that it has been their biggest weakness. Estevao has shown flashes of quality but he has spent a lot of time out injured as well. Other than that, the Blues have not really had someone impression in that position.
Pedro Neto has played a ton of football. While there are things to like about his game, he has failed to show any kind of consistency or steady output. Alejandro Garnacho has failed to impress as well. The decision to sign him from Manchester United seems to have been a poor one.
According to a recent report from MaxFSport, Chelsea will be open to listening to offers for both Garnacho and Neto.
Now, Chelsea fans would not be devastated to see either leave. But suitable replacements need to be brought in. And it looks like they have been offered the chance to sign a long-term target.
Chelsea offered chance to sign Portuguese international
It emerged this week that Rafael Leao was set to leave AC Milan. He has even made that clear to the media. And now, it only seems like a matter of time.
On the other hand, according to TEAMtalk, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea have also been approached by the player’s camp. Manchester United are in the mix to sign Leao as well.
Leao has been one of the most highly-regarded wingers in world football for some time. Now, at 26 years of age, he appears to be available for a transfer fee in the region of €50 million.
For context, that is the kind of figure Chelsea shelled out last summer to sign Garnacho. They paid more top bring in Neto from Wolves and also Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund.
Would Leao be a good signing for the Blues right now?
This might be the bigger question right now. For years, Leao was considered one of the next big things in football. Yet, it feels like he never took that next step.
It is also worth mentioning that he has spent so many years playing in the Serie A. Would he be able to adjust to the Premier League, if he did make the move to Chelsea right now?
In my eyes, it is a move that is worth the risk. That being said, there is also the chance that it could go completely wrong and he proves to be another transfer flop.
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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