Chelsea are reportedly working on a deal to sign AC Milan sensation Rafael Leao, with the Portuguese international also wanted by the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.
According to the Times, the Blues are keen to bring the Serie A title winner to west London once they have wrapped up a deal to sign Anthony Gordon from Everton, with Leao having a release clause in his Milan contract of €150m (£127m), a figure that eclipses the current Premier League record transfer.
With City and Liverpool both also reportedly interested in Leao, Chelsea face some serious competition for the Rossoneri phenom, who last season was one of Milan’s star players as the Italian giants won their first Scudetto in well over a decade, with the 23-year-old bagging 14 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.
A left-winger by trade with the ability to play as a centre-forward, Leao is regarded by many as one of Europe’s most exciting young attackers, and with Chelsea devoid of any real finishing threat aside from 20-year-old striker Armando Broja, the Milan star could be perfect for the Blues this summer.
Indeed, whilst Milan are reluctant to sell, a huge offer from Chelsea late on in the window could be enough to pry Leao away from the Lombardy side, and for Thomas Tuchel, the German coach might finally land the striker needed to lead the line for the Blues for many years to come.
Whilst interest from City and Liverpool could cause issues for the Premier League giants, Chelsea are in a position where signing Leao makes plenty of sense given their desperate need for a goalscoring threat, and the Milan phenom could be perfect for the Blues this summer.
Chelsea should prioritise Leao signing over £60m Gordon deal
Chelsea’s move to sign Leao comes at a weird time for the Blues given that the same reports claims that the west London side are hopeful of signing Gordon for £60m, and whilst the Everton youngster is a good player with solid enough potential, it is blatantly clear that Tuchel is much better off signing the Milan star this summer.
After all, goals are hard to come by at Chelsea, and Leao, who is only two years older that Gordon, will provide that for the the Premier League side, with the Portuguese star also having the potential to become a real threat for the English giants, whilst Gordon could realistically become the club’s next big-money failure.
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