Rio Ferdinand has warned Chelsea that they will be joined by the world's biggest clubs in the race to sign AC Milan star Rafael Leao. The 23-year-old forward was previously linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in the summer but a move failed to materialise.
Leao, who sees his contract with the Rossoneri expire at the end of next season, has been closely watched by the Blues since joining Milan in 2019, football.london understands. It's said that talks between the Italian side and the Portugal international over a new deal are still ongoing, but an agreement is yet to be reached.
Speaking on BT Sport, Ferdinand revealed just how excited he is still see Leao in action against Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-final. The former Manchester United defender said: "I saw him for 45 minutes at Chelsea, he was phenomenal. In a semi-final, it’s such a showpiece game to see a player of that calibre."
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In November, Leao enjoyed a tremendous battle against Reece James, with the Blues defender coming out on top. Ferdinand added: "Huge potential. All big clubs around the world will be looking to get his signature at some point – no disrespect to AC Milan – but I’m sure at some point one of the other big clubs in Europe will be trying to get him.
"I think the stage is set for someone like him to step out from the crowd and take that spotlight. I’m looking forward to seeing him tomorrow."
However, while Ferdinand may be excited to see Leao in action, the Portuguese star may not even appear at the San Siro on Wednesday night. The forward picked up a thigh injury inside the opening quarter of an hour against Lazio at the weekend, casting doubt over his availability.
Leao was later spotted training alone with a physio in Milan's open training session, while his teammates were put through their paces. Speaking to Sky Italia, as quoted by the Evening Standard, Stefano Pioli said: "Field work was scheduled for today.
"Tomorrow morning he’ll try to push and if he’s okay he will be present, otherwise he won’t. He could start, he could be able to play... and he may not even be on the bench.
"It will depend on the type of work he can do, because with his quality and characteristics he must be 100 per cent. Let's see, it's still open."
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