Chelsea transfer target Rafael Leao will not have a release clause that the Blues can activate this window, according to reports. It comes after suggestions that AC Milan have cited his €150million (£127million) clause as his valuation in talks for the winger.
The 23-year-old was a key member of the Rossoneri squad last season, scoring 11 and assisting in a further 10 goals as he helped guide them to the Serie A title. With those impressive performances and just two years remaining on his contract, plenty of transfer interest is expected.
The Blues are one of those linked, with Thomas Tuchel looking to solve the goal scoring woes that the team suffered last campaign. Raheem Sterling has been signed to help with that, while football.london understands Chelsea are confident in finalising a deal to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona.
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When asked about the goal scoring issues last year, Tuchel put it down to player issues rather than his system. He said: "The structure is never the problem and the structure is never the solution, it is always the input of the players. The structure is fluid, in different structures you find different spaces."
With Leao linked as another option for the forward line, reports have suggested that it will cost the Blues the release clause of €150million (£127million) to land him. However, Calciomercato reports that the clause will not be valid this final week of the window, meaning it cannot be activated.
This means a slightly more complicated way of negotiating, as they would still have to discuss with Milan rather than just activating the clause. But in a positive spin, it could save them more money, as the report adds that €120million (£101million) could tempt the Serie A champions into letting a move go through.
This may make it an unlikely move still, given that it would be a record fee paid by the club, but there are still a few days to get any potential deal over the line.
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