Todd Boehly has been dealt a major blow in Chelsea's mission to sign AC Milan star Rafael Leao. The 23-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in the summer as Thomas Tuchel looked to bolster his side's frontline.
And, even after the German's sacking, the Blues are said to still be monitoring the winger's situation at the San Siro as talks over a new deal with the Rossoneri continue. According to Corriere dello Sport, as quoted by Milan News, Leao wants in the region of £118,000-per-week and for the Italian giants to contribute towards the compensation fee he was ordered to pay former club Sporting Lisbon.
According to reports, the Portugal international was told to pay his former club €20million (£18million) after walking away from Sporting free of charge in 2018 to join Lille. It's said that Leao's contract with the Portuguese giants was essentially terminated as he felt it was within his right to do so after the club's training ground was stormed by fans.
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However, the forward's case didn't stand in court and, therefore, he was ordered to pay Sporting back which will reportedly be taken straight from his wages. But, with Leao yet to pay the looming fee, it has become a deciding factor as to whether he pens a new deal at Milan or not.
According to Portuguese newspaper Record, as quoted by Football Italia, Milan are in direct communication with Sporting 'to help reduce' the amount he owes his former club. The report states that directors Paolo Maldini and Frederico Varandas have met twice in recent months to resolve the ongoing issue.
The Italian giants are eager to help their player clear his debt in a bid that it could persuade Leao to pen a new deal at the club. He sees his current contract at the San Siro expire in 2024 and is currently valued at around £72million.
In July, The Telegraph stated that Leao was shortlisted as an option for the west Londoners. Talk of a move to Chelsea cooled following the arrival of Raheem Sterling, but the the club eventually reignited interest late into the summer transfer window, according to the Times. The report said that Boehly was working on a deal to sign him and enquired about the possibility of including 'one or more' Blues players in a player-plus-cash swap deal.
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