AC Milan director Paulo Maldini has dismissed reports that the Italian giants could lose Rafael Leao to Chelsea, insisting that the striker wants to stay at San Siro.
The Blues were said to be interested in the Portugal international during the transfer window after he helped the Rossoneri win Serie A last season.
Leao scored 11 goals and had 10 assists in 34 league games during the 2021-22 season and has already scored three goals and had six assists in eight games across all tournaments in 2022-23.
Chelsea reportedly failed with a £69m bid for the 23-year-old on deadline day, but they are likely to rekindle their interest in future transfer windows, and Manchester City is also said to be interested.
Milan are also in a difficult bargaining position, as Leao’s contract expires in the summer of 2024, and Maldini has addressed the difficulties surrounding the attacker’s contract.
Will Chelsea Sign Rafael Leao?
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport via CalcioMercato, Maldini revealed that Leao’s failure to receive a contract extension was due to an issue with his previous team, Sporting Lisbon.
The Portuguese giants are thought to be owed up to £13.8m by Leao when he terminated his contract to join Lille on a free transfer in 2018, but Maldini is confident that the problem will be addressed swiftly, and Leao has told him that he wants to stay at San Siro for “years.”
“Leao has a difficult situation that comes from his move to Lille, which is affecting him a lot and has meant that our interlocutors have often changed,” Maldini explained.
“But Rafa is grateful to us and I’m interested in what he says to us. He understands that his path in the coming years must be at Milan, he understands that and tells us as much.
“There will be a negotiation but we know that good players must be paid their value. If the team grows further, Leao will have everything to compete to the fullest. Of course, there are no non-transferable players at any team around the world.”
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Leao played only one season at Lille before Milan paid £26.5m to sign him in 2019, and he has since recorded 30 goals and 27 assists in 123 appearances for Stefano Pioli’s side.
The attacker was voted Milan’s Player of the Year for the 2021-22 season and has 10 caps for the Portuguese national team, recording three assists, but he is yet to score his first senior international goal.
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