Chelsea have reportedly reignited a move for Rafael Leao as Thomas Tuchel looks to sign a forward before the summer transfer window slams shut. The AC Milan winger has been heavily linked with a switch to the Premier League lately, with Arsenal said to have once held an interest, too.
The 23-year-old, who sees his contract at the San Siro expire in 2024, featured 34 times for the Rossoneri in the Serie A last season, directly contributing towards 21 goals. Leao's impressive displays for Milan steered the Italian giants to a Scudetto and, as a result, he is attracting the interest of several top-flight sides.
Last month, The Telegraph reported that the Portugal international surfaced as an option for Chelsea. Talk of a move to west London cooled, but the Times have now said that the Blues have reignited interest and are currently working on a deal to sign Leao.
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The report adds that negotiations began over the weekend, with the possibility of 'one or more' Chelsea players being included in a player-plus-cash swap deal. The Times say that Leao is keen on a move to the Premier League this season.
In an interview with The Athletic last month, Fikayo Tomori explained why the £59million-rated winger is highly sought after. The former Blues defender and Cobham graduate said: "To be fair, in training you wouldn’t know he’s so electric when it comes to a match day because in training he likes to mess about.
"He does a lot of step-overs, he beats you once and he wants to come back at you again. But when it comes to the game, he’s just off. He’s massive for the team.
"Ever since I arrived I told him, "You don’t know how good you are". Because you can see he has everything. He’s fast, he’s strong, he can dribble, he can head the ball, he’s tall. He’s got EVERYTHING. He’s definitely been our difference maker and is deservedly player of the season for Serie A."
Chelsea have been heavily linked with a move for Anthony Gordon this summer but, following backlash from sections of the Blues fanbase over a deal for the Everton winger, it seems that Leao could be a late alternative.
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