Chelsea are within a point of the top four of the Premier League after their win over Tottenham Hotspur in their last outing, and could break into the top 8 of the Champions League with a win over Qarabag tonight.
While it is a decent start to the season that the Blues have made, they would still feel that they have underperformed owing to the offensive investments they made in the summer with neither of their signings barring Joao Pedro delivering as expected yet.
Enzo Maresca’s wingers have particularly struggled for form and consistency, and while Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens have had their moments at Stamford Bridge, neither of them has nailed down a spot in the team so far.
Given that the Blues don’t give more than a year or two for their signings to settle in, plans have already been drafted for a new left winger’s acquisition next summer as Fichajes has claimed that Chelsea are interested in AC Milan star Rafael Leao.
According to the source, they are prepared to spend £105 million on the 26-year-old’s transfer and such an amount is expected to convince the Rossoneri to part company with their key man, who has four goals and an assist in six outings this season.
Leao worth the huge price
Rafael Leao’s signing would potentially mean Chelsea have spent a massive sum on yet another wing, but as opposed to their recent signings, the AC Milan star has more experience as well as the calibre to influence matches all by himself.
Under Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceicao last season, Leao did not enjoy his best run of form but following Massimiliano Allegri’s appointment for the ongoing campaign, the Portuguese has been playing really well after a calf injury in August.
The former Juventus coach labelled him as a ‘genius’ and also included him in his plans from the word go, a decision which has helped Milan in contending for the Serie A crown as well as led to their superstar in finding his feet.
Leao has been at AC Milan for over six years and has played more than 250 games for them, so he might be open to a new challenge in the Premier League with Chelsea’s project likely to entice him into joining them.
His exceptional dribbling, chance creation and finishing will give Chelsea life down the left wing along with the end product that they are looking for, while Leao’s experience and intelligence of the game will help him get the best out of his teammates too.
It will be interesting to see if Alejandro Garnacho or Jamie Gittens manage to convince Enzo Maresca by the end of the season, and should that not happen, Leao’s signing might only be a matter of time.
