Chelsea could be prevented from signing AC Milan star Rafael Leao by Fikayo Tomori and Olivier Giroud, who both were previously on the books at Stamford Bridge. Giroud and Tomori both left the Blues for Italy in the summer of 2021 in search of more minutes before going on to help Milan win the Scudetto in their first season at the club.
Tomori enjoyed a fruitful loan spell at Milan in the final six months of the 2020/21 season before completing a permanent move in the summer, with a first-team spot in Chelsea's defence not available to the Cobham graduate.
Meanwhile, Giroud made the somewhat controversial switch to the Blues from Arsenal but he was able to help the club win the Champions League in 2021.
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The duo could now play a role in Leao signing a new contract at Milan and thus block a potential transfer to west London, perhaps even calling on their own experiences to persuade him to remain in Italy.
Leao has been a long-term target of Chelsea as Todd Boehly attempts to revamp the Chelsea squad, with the 23-year-old identified as a key part of his Blues rebuild. However, AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli has urged Leao to stay at the club amid his dwindling contract.
He told Sky Sports, via Football Italia: "I advise him to sign a new deal and stay at Milan. I see Rafa very happy here. Leao here will have the chance to improve again, he feels good at Milan with this group."
Tuttosport report that Milan will do everything within their financial capabilities to offer Leao a "satisfying deal". The Turin-based paper also claim that the Milan players will not leverage Leao’s contract extension in order to get a pay raise for themselves.
The Portuguese's teammates, which include Giroud and Tomori, consider him "the strongest player in the squad", and therefore worthy of a lucrative offer.
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