European giants 'fed up' and willing to sell €100m rated attacker amid interest from Chelsea and Manchester City - Reports

Chelsea and Manchester City have reportedly been handed a boost in their pursuit of AC Milan winger Rafael Leao. The Italian giants are willing to listen to offers for the Portuguese winger, according to Fichajes.

The Serie A giants are said to have become frustrated by Leao's refusal to extend his current contract at the San Siro. The winger's deal with AC Milan is expected to expire in the summer of 2024. While the club have expressed their desire to keep him beyond next year, Leao hasn't committed his long-term future to Milan.

The Portuguese international has risen to become a key member of the Rossoneri since his €35 million move from Lille in 2019. He played a key role in helping AC Milan secure a historic Serie A title win last season and was voted the league's most valuable player.

Leao finished the 2021-22 league campaign with a total of 11 goals and 10 assists for AC Milan. He also registered the third most successful dribbles in Europe (186).

Rafael Leão

@RafaeLeao7

Ciao 2023 🖤
@acmilan

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Ciao 2023 ❤️🖤
@acmilan https://t.co/QUIK2IHCC2

His form has caught the attention of Premier League club sides such as Chelsea and Manchester City. The two teams are said to have strong transfer interest in the 23-year-old winger. Milan have reportedly slapped a €100 million valuation on the winger should interested clubs come knocking this summer.

Chelsea have demonstrated their ability to pay a transfer fee within that range recently after breaking the British transfer record for Enzo Fernandez.

The Blues paid a whooping transfer fee in the region of £106.8 million to secure Fernandez's services from Benfica last month. They could possibly opt to break the bank yet again to land Leao from Milan.

Fabrizio Romano

@FabrizioRomano

AC Milan director Paolo Maldini on Rafa Leão and Chelsea rumours: “I feel we’ve good chances to reach an agreement with Rafa Leão on a new contract to keep him here at Milan”, tells Gazzetta dello Sport. #ACMilan

“Leão knows that this club is the best one for his growth”.

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AC Milan director Paolo Maldini on Rafa Leão and Chelsea rumours: “I feel we’ve good chances to reach an agreement with Rafa Leão on a new contract to keep him here at Milan”, tells Gazzetta dello Sport. 🚨🔴 #ACMilan

“Leão knows that this club is the best one for his growth”. https://t.co/mdoq53ORs9

Manchester City, on the other hand, did spend £100 million to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa in the summer of 2021. The Cityzens are also known for their muscle in the transfer market and could fancy spending huge on Leao as well.

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Stefano Poili hints on new role for Chelsea and Manchester City transfer target Rafael Leao

The Italian tactician was happy with his team's performance after AC Milan secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against a resolute Torino side on Saturday (11 February).

Pioli reflected on the result and also hinted at a possible change in position for Chelsea and Man City target Leao. Speaking about the Portuguese winger, Pioli said (via Sempremilan):

“Rafa is a strange player. I’ve always thought that putting him wide would help him, but these days, where I’ve tried him, he said it’s his favorite position."

He continued:

"But he wants and must work on the pitch in that position. We’ll also see based on the opponents.”

Milan Posts 🏆🇮🇹

@MilanPosts

🗣 #Pioli to #DAZN on #Leao: "Rafa is a strange player. I always thought that by putting him wide I was making it easier for him, but in these days, where I tried him out, he said that it is his favourite position. But he wants and has to work on the court in that position.

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🗣 #Pioli to #DAZN on #Leao: "Rafa is a strange player. I always thought that by putting him wide I was making it easier for him, but in these days, where I tried him out, he said that it is his favourite position. But he wants and has to work on the court in that position. https://t.co/EvayFJeO40

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