AC Milan Ready to Raid Chelsea for 2 Players if They Lose Rafael Leao

AC Milan Ready to Raid Chelsea for 2 Players if They Lose Rafael Leao

Rene Otinga
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:12 PM
In this article:
English Premier League logo
ENG Premier League
England
Italian Serie A logo
ITA Serie A
Italy
  • Italian giants AC Milan plan to make a move for a Chelsea duo if they lose Rafael Leao
  • Leao was crucial for Milan last season as they won their first Scudetto since 2010/11
  • His performances in recent months have led to talk that he could make a move away from the San Siro

AC Milan are planning to move in for Chelsea stars Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic in the event they lose their star man Rafael Leao.

The Rossoneri are struggling to fend off potential suitors for the 23-year-old, especially after his exploits last season helped them to the Scudetto.

The Portuguese striker scored an impressive 11 goals and bagged 10 assists in the Serie A last season, raising the eyebrows of various top clubs across Europe.

Rafael Leao, AC Milan, Chelsea
Rafael Leao of AC Milan looks on during the UEFA Champions League group E match between AC Milan and Dinamo Zagreb at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on September 14, 2022. Photo by Marco Luzzani.
Source: Getty Images

And he has taken his form into the new season, as he has been involved in nine goals in the first eight games of the season so far.

Exciting feature: Check out news exactly for YOU ➡️ find "Recommended for you" block and enjoy!

In addition, he has also established himself as a crucial member of the Portugal squad ahead of the World Cup in Qatar in November.

Despite having a staggering £127million release clause, Chelsea is among the clubs that have shown interest in Leao’s signature.

Manchester City is also another club that is interested in the striker and can comfortably trigger the release clause.

As reported by Gazzetta Dello Sport, Milan are desperate to agree a new deal with Leao, but the club’s bosses are also aware of the fact that they might lose him to one of Europe’s big guns.

One of the biggest obstacles Milan are facing, according to the report, is the fact that Leao wants £6.2m per year, whilst the club is willing to offer him £5.3m plus add-ons.

His current deal runs until the summer of 2024.

If they are completely unable to get Leao to sign a new deal, Milan will be forced to sell the talented player, and Daily Mail also reports that Pulisic and Ziyech are in line as potential replacements.

Ziyech has struggled to establish himself as a regular at Chelsea, particularly under sacked coach Thomas Tuchel, while Pulisic faces tough competition for a place upfront, especially with the arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling.

The American is also subject of concern regarding his playing time ahead of the World Cup.

Nkunku’s secret medical at Chelsea

Elsewhere, Sports Brief also reported that Christopher Nkunku had a secret medical with Chelsea. The RB Leipzig striker was one of the key priorities of former head coach Thomas Tuchel.

Nkunku has been on the radar of top European clubs following his breakthrough campaign last season.

It is not yet understood if Leipzig gave the go-ahead for the medical, as it would be a breach of transfer laws for a medical to happen without the authorization of the parent club.

Authors
Rene Otinga photo
Rene Otinga
Rene Otinga is a sports journalist with over eight years of working experience in digital media. Rene's experience includes working as a Copywriter at X News Kenya and TUKO.co.ke.
Tags
Transfers