Chelsea had their sights set on signing AC Milan winger Rafael Leao. They withdrew their bid at the last minute owing to his nine-figure price tag of £130million. Chelsea were reluctant to pay such a high price for the winger. However, it is expected, that Chelsea will make a fresh bid for the player in the January transfer window. Until that time, Leao remains in the contract at San Sirrio till 2024 with a release clause of £130 million.
Chelsea has lost two games out of the four played in the Premier League so far. The lack of a clinical finisher has hampered them the most in their matches. Moreover, the departure of forwards such as Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku means that Chelsea lacks quality and depth in the forwards department. Raheem Sterling is the only reinforcement so far in the forward department. Sterling has had a good start to his Chelsea career, scoring 3 goals in 4 matches. Meanwhile, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz have had disappointing starts to their season. Quality depth in the forward department is a necessity for the Blues if they want to compete for trophies this season. Hence, the interest in Rafel Leao
Chelsea chose to walk away from the deal
Chelsea have splurged big bucks in the transfer market this season. They have spent a whopping €227m on players this season, mainly defenders. With such huge spending already in their tabs, it was unlikely that they would pursue a deal worth more than €100 million for any player. Moreover, the Blues were unsuccessful in convincing AC Milan to part ways with their star. Leao had 14 goals and 12 assists in 42 outings for Milan last season. His versatility as a forward is what caught Thomas Tuchel’s eyes. With less than two years remaining in his contract, a move by Chelsea in the January transfer window cannot be ruled out.
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