Prior to the forthcoming transfer window, Ronaldinho appears to have guided Chelsea towards Rafael Leao.
Following outstanding performances that led the Italian giants to their first Scudetto in eleven years, the 22-year-old has been extensively linked with a transfer away from AC Milan this summer. This season, he has appeared 33 times for Stefano Pioli’s team in Serie A, directly contributing to 18 goals.
Leao’s contract at the San Siro expires in June 2024, and he has recently piqued Arsenal’s attention, with Mikel Arteta looking to boost his frontline following the exits of Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette. According to La Repubblica, Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain have emerged as the frontrunners in the fight for the forward’s services.
According to the report, both parties are willing to treble the earnings of the Portugal international ahead of a possible move in the coming weeks. Milan is reported to be desperate to keep Leao’s services and is prepared to provide a new deal to ward off interest.
Leao, who is rated at roughly £59 million by CIES Football Observatory, has piqued curiosity with brilliant exploits for Milan, to the point that all-time great Ronaldinho has dubbed him “one of the finest” players in the world. In an interview with DAZN, the former Rossoneri winger lavished admiration on the Portuguese winger.
“Leao is now one of the greatest,” Ronaldinho stated. “I saw him and he’s one of the greatest today,” says the author.
According to the MailOnline, Todd Boehly, who has agreed to acquire Chelsea for £4.25 billion, would ‘push for A-list stars’ to usher in a new era at Stamford Bridge. While Leao hasn’t allegedly courted the Blues’ attention since bursting onto the scene as an 18-year-old rough diamond in the Sporting academy in 2018, it’s in Thomas Tuchel’s best interests to spark the west London side’s interest.
Chelsea is looking for a dynamic, near-elite-level Wideman who can play both as an inside striker and as a classic touchline-hugging winger. Leao should be the Blues’ top contender; he’s in the 95th percentile for dribbles completed among all players in his position in Europe, is a superb progressive carrier, frequently finds himself in the box, is good in the air, has a healthy quantity of non-penalty goals, and will excite supporters.
Leao is usually seen on the left flank for Milan in a 4-2-3-1 configuration, where he is expected to operate out wide and in the inner pockets due to the presence of Olivier Giroud, a target man. Tuchel’s team would benefit greatly from the 22-year-old, whether he is used in a new-look 4-3-3 or the classic 3-4-2-1.
Discussion about this post